To the Editor,
I still want to know how a voucher program is conservative. Why are so-called conservative politicians pushing something that is not conservative? Are they lining their pockets or their donors’ pockets?
In the prior legislative session, the state budget included an additional $500 million for vouchers and a new bureaucratic department to administer them. Creating more government is anti-conservative.
In the last session, the bill drafted did not have oversight of these funds, spending taxpayers’ dollars with zero accountability. Spending taxpayers’ dollars with no accountability is anti-conservative.
On average, a house valued at $400K pays $3,500 yearly on school property taxes. (I’m not a fan of property taxes, but it’s the system we live with right now to fund our local schools) If vouchers are $10,000 per child, a family of three children living in a $400K house would receive $30,000 in vouchers. The family pays $3,500 in school taxes but receives $30,000 in vouchers. Is this not a welfare government subsidy program? This, again, is anti-conservative. If the state wants to give the family their $3,500 back in taxes if the children aren’t in a public school, we can discuss that.
If these same three children do not receive special services or take any classes that receive special funding, a school district receives $18,480 for them ($6,160 per child is the state’s basic allotment). Why would the state give out $30,000 in vouchers to three children when your local school district receives $18,480? This is more government spending and is anti-conservative.
As a conservative myself, I do not understand why so-called conservative politicians are pushing a program that is so anti-conservative. If you are a conservative, you voted for the conservative representative that won the seat, and the so-called representative votes in favor of vouchers, you need to re-think your vote in 2026.
Matt Davenport
Collinsville ISD Superintendent
Source: Freepik.com