Less than a week remains in the legislative session. Despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s commitment to school choice this year, some legislators are still wondering what will happen to rural schools under a policy that gives parents choices over how and where their children learn. 

Will additional private education choices force a mass exodus from assigned schools in these areas? Or everywhere across the state?

The answer to the first question is no. As best as we can determine, private learning options implemented in states including Arizona and Florida have never resulted in a public school shutting down.

A proposal to create education savings accounts offers parents and students more than just a new school. The accounts are not vouchers, and the distinctions are important. Arizona courts emphasized the differences in a 2013 opinion and ultimately ruled that the accounts did not violate the state constitution.

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With vouchers, or private school scholarships, parents can choose a new school for their child—a life-changing option for children who have been bullied, are falling behind in class, or for whom the assigned school has not met their needs.

With an account, after parents choose not to send their child to a public school, the state deposits a portion of a child’s funding from the state education formula into a bank-style account. (Under Abbott’s proposal, that would be $8,000 per year.) The parents can use the money to buy certain preapproved education products and services for their children. Private school tuition is one option for parents, but not the only one. Parents who want to offer their children a course not available at a local public school can use an account to pay for the course online or at a local college. Or they can find personal tutors or education therapists suited to meet a child’s unique needs.

The education options that Abbott seeks will not change local high schools’ role as key parts of civic life. By our calculations, just 5 percent of Arizona students use education savings accounts, and 2 percent of children in Florida participate.

Controversies related to COVID and critical race theory have created more interest in school choice across the nation. Legislators in many state governments have responded with proposals giving parents account-style options that allow families to customize a child’s education. The notable exception has been Texas—until now.

These accounts can be life-changing for account holders. Children with special needs can receive services unique to their medical and learning needs; students falling behind can access personal tutors; and families seeking options that align with their values can choose a new private school.

The kind of education savings accounts Abbott is proposing has created cost savings in other states. In Arizona, when the bill for education savings accounts was introduced, an impact assessment prepared by Matt Beienburg, director of education policy at the conservative Goldwater Institute, estimated that taxpayers would save $1,400 for every child with special needs who used an account.

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According to the Goldwater Institute, for students in mainstream classes, Arizona’s accounts are worth approximately $3,000 less per child than the per-student spending in assigned schools.

Similarly, in the latest version of the proposal Texas lawmakers are considering, the accounts would be worth less than what taxpayers would spend per child in a public school.

Every child has unique needs. And every one should have access to a quality education that will help him or her succeed in school and in life. Texas is attracting families from across the country looking for affordable, safe places to live. State leaders can keep Texas out in front by offering more quality learning options for every child, too.