To the editor,
I was raised by community members, under the eyes of pastors, coaches and teachers. I couldn’t do anything without everyone knowing—a blessing and a curse to my teen heart. School events brought us together to cheer, gossip and maybe fall in love. The school was the heart of the town, where everyone united regardless of church affiliation or politics. It taught us the value of community and our strength when we were together.
I took those values with me to the city. I miss that small-town community, but I’ve found it again in our public schools here.
So when I saw your newly elected Texas House Rep, Shelley Luther, claim on WFAA that vouchers would “help my kids” and falsely claim they wouldn’t hurt rural schools, I was appalled.
It’s true your district has few private schools, but vouchers will eventually hurt all public schools. In states like Arizona, wealthy families rushed to use “private school coupons,” and public schools were left scrambling. The money has to come from somewhere. It may not happen today or tomorrow, but eventually, they will dip into rural school funding by lowering the amount the state pays per student. Your former Rep, Reggie Smith, fought hard against vouchers for that reason.
The proposed voucher amount is $8-10k per student—more than the state currently pays a district ($6K). It doesn’t add up. Don’t forget: Governor Abbott spent five sessions tying teacher pay to vouchers, refusing to prioritize kids in public schools while sitting on a $32B surplus.
Traditional public schools are already closing due to a combination of chronic underfunding, relentless testing, unfunded mandates, and an exodus of students to unregulated charter schools. Why do legislators want to pay kids to leave instead of doing their job and fixing public schools?
Rep. Luther, my kids don’t need your “help.” Stick to your district, ma’am. Maybe I’ll call you if they need a haircut.
Sabrina Ball
Fort Worth ISD Mom
Whitesboro High School Class of ‘96