YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE
SAY NO TO VOUCHERS
Vote for the candidate who supports public schools and opposes private school vouchers
Incumbent David Spiller flipped his vote in the last special session, abandoning his support of public education in favor of supporting private school vouchers. Gov. Abbott is only endorsing Republican House candidates who support his voucher plan, and he has given his endorsement to Spiller.
Stacey Swann in the only candidate for House District 68 who has pledged to vote against all private school voucher plans. She will fight to increase public school funding by raising the per student public allotment to the national average.
Why is a statewide voucher program bad for rural school systems?
There are very few private schools in rural counties. In fact, most counties in our House District (68) have no private schools.
Voucher plans are incredibly expensive. Private school vouchers will likely cost at least $8,000 per student per year while public schools already suffer from lack of funding. Texas is currently $4,000 behind the national average in per pupil spending.
ISD systems are one of the biggest employers in rural areas. Cuts to funding often lead to staffing cuts and fewer jobs, damaging the economy as a whole.
Our public schools are already facing massive shortfalls for the school year, with some districts already asking for property tax increases to make ends meet. A future with an expensive voucher program means a future with frequent property tax increases to fill the gap.
“School Choice” isn’t an accurate description of school voucher plans.
Vouchers often do not cover the full cost of tuition. They function as discount coupon that will be used primarily by parents wealthy enough to already send their kids to private schools.
Private schools are not required to admit all students and do not have to explain rejections. They are allowed to pick and choose the students they want, unlike public schools.
Vouchers do not cover the cost of transportation. Parents are expected to provide transportation; there is no bus service.
Private Schools Will Get Government Funding Without Regulation or Transparency
Private schools do not guarantee assistance for students with disabilities.
Private schools, unlike public schools, do not have to demonstrate student progress by using traditional evaluation tools, such as standardized tests.
Private schools are not required to provide special education services to students with learning disabilities.
Private schools do not have elected school boards or public meetings.
Meet Stacey
Stacey and her extended family moved to Lampasas County in 2016 where her father and brother-in-law raise Santa Gertrudis cattle. She spent the past twenty years as a teacher and editor before transitioning to a full-time writer with the publication of her debut novel Olympus, Texas (Doubleday) in 2021.
Stacey was raised in Sealy, a small town near the Texas Gulf Coast, and is a proud graduate of the rural public school system there. That excellent educational foundation helped her secure a National Merit Scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, where she received her BA in English. She also completed an MFA in Creative Writing from Texas State University and was awarded a Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University. She believes current and future rural Texans deserve the same educational opportunities that she received.
Let’s build community in District 68 and get out the vote for public schools! Chip in to support Stacey Swann for State House District 68.
Contact
Email: stacey@staceyfortexas68.com
I always have time to talk to voters. If you’d like to schedule a phone call or Zoom with me, just email me at the above address and I’ll respond within 24 hours.