{"id":208538,"date":"2026-03-17T17:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T17:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/208538\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T17:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T17:32:10","slug":"families-in-rich-sa-school-districts-apply-for-vouchers-at-higher-rates-than-those-in-poor-ones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/208538\/","title":{"rendered":"Families in rich SA school districts apply for vouchers at higher rates than those in poor ones"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FamiliesFamilies in less-affluent San Antonio districts such as Harlandale have been applying for the state\u2019s voucher program at lower rates than those in wealthier districts, data shows. Credit: Facebook \/ Harlandale High School_HISD<\/p>\n

Residents of San Antonio\u2019s wealthier school districts are significantly outpacing their\u00a0poorer counterparts in applying for the state\u2019s school voucher program, data from the Texas Comptroller\u2019s Office shows.<\/p>\n

For Joshua Cowen, a Michigan State professor who\u2019s studied the effects of school vouchers nationwide, those numbers show the new program is working just as its Republican champions intended.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gov. Greg Abbott and other voucher backers argued the program would give Texans of all incomes the opportunity to send their kids to private schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, critics argue that claim was a smokescreen and that vouchers were always intended to help the wealthiest families offset the cost of tuition bills they\u2019re already paying.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve known for 20 years that this is what happens,\u201d Cowen told the Current. \u201c[Voucher proponents] know this now too, because it\u2019s showing up in the data.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, recent reporting from the Current and other outlets found that just 24% of Texas\u2019 school voucher applicants\u2019 kids were in public schools when they applied for the program, meaning the vast majority of applicants had already enrolled their children in private schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s undebatable is that school vouchers aren\u2019t saving kids from failing public schools,\u201d Cowen added.<\/p>\n

The new, San Antonio-specific numbers suggest that low-income families here are likely too poor to be able to participate in the program, which distributes $10,000 coupons to cover each qualifying child\u2019s private school tuition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of the 10,428 combined San Antonio public, private and home-school students who have applied for the voucher coupons, 5.9% reside in the boundaries of North East ISD. Another 4.1% are from Northside ISD.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The annual median family income in both of these districts is around $80,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The application percentages in those well-off districts are considerably higher than those for students living in districts with lower median income. \u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, just 1.2% of students living within the Harlandale ISD school district boundaries have applied for vouchers. That ratio stands at 1.8% in Southside ISD and 2.3% in Edgewood ISD.<\/p>\n

The median annual family incomes those districts is below the Bexar County average, and those in Harlandale ISD and Edgewood ISD hover around $35,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018Not true school choice\u2019<\/p>\n

State Rep. Diego Bernal, a San Antonio Democrat and a vocal opponent of Texas\u2019 voucher program, said the numbers point out a major flaw in Texas\u2019 recently enacted legislation.<\/p>\n

Even if a low-income family receives a $10,000 voucher, the average private school tuition in San Antonio is about $12,000, according to Private School Review, an online comparison site.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That $2,000 difference still isn\u2019t attainable for most low-income families, Bernal said. In other words, many of the families with kids in poorly performing schools still can\u2019t afford to take advantage of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things I suggested [during the legislative session] was that if someone got a $10,000 voucher and their tuition was more than that, then the remainder of the tuition should be waived. But, [Republicans] said no,\u201d Bernal said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not really school choice at all,\u201d the lawmaker added. \u201cIf the private schools can still charge whatever they want and exceed the value of the voucher and curate the student body any way they want, it\u2019s not true school choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Welfare for the Rich<\/p>\n

Even if a state voucher covers the cost of tuition, low-income families still have to pay for school\u00a0uniforms, activity fees, transportation, non-subsidized lunches and other expenses they don\u2019t encounter in the public education system, according to experts.<\/p>\n

So, even though pro-voucher lawmakers maintained the program would allow parents trapped in failing school districts to send their kids to better schools, it appears a majority of San Antonians simply may be too poor to afford to pay.<\/p>\n

The numbers also support that theory statewide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of the Texas families who applied for vouchers, 65% are lower-middle income to upper income \u2014\u00a0or above 200% of the federal poverty line \u2014 according to the Texas Comptroller\u2019s Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Only 35% of applicants so far are low-income, or earn less than 200% of the federal poverty line, according to state data.\u200b<\/p>\n

Bernal argues the numbers prove Texas\u2019 voucher program is welfare for the rich \u2014 or at least, welfare those who earn a comfortable living.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time we have an opportunity to expand Medicaid or do something that helps poor people, Republicans always say no because they have a fear that people who don\u2019t need it will get it,\u201d Bernal said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the voucher scam, it is not only known, but acknowledged, that people who don\u2019t need the help, who can fully afford private school tuition, will get it anyway. That is not only corruption, but hypocrisy of the highest fucking order.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u200b<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Applications\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tMore than 200,000 students have applied for state money for private school. Most attended private school or home-school last school year, early data shows.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Texas\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tBoth suits maintain the state is engaging in religious discrimination by cutting off state voucher money to Islamic private campuses. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Muslim\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe federal lawsuit argues Texas officials are engaging in religious discrimination by preventing Islamic private schools from accessing state voucher money.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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