RELEASE: Abbott Rallies for Vouchers at Private School as Local Public School Offering Deaf Education Program Closes
**PLANO, TEXAS —**Today, Governor Greg Abbott is touring St. Timothy Christian Academy as part of his latest push for a private school voucher program. Abbott has not visited a Texas public school in years. Instead, he has spent years touring numerous private schools, pushing a voucher proposal that diverts public tax dollars to subsidize private education.
His pro-voucher tour is being held between Lewisville ISD and Plano ISD, which are closing a combined nine school campuses this fall. The tour takes place just a few miles from Davis Elementary School — the only public elementary school offering a Deaf Education Program serving 14 area districts — which is closing this fall due to severe underfunding from the state. This comes just one month after Governor Abbott admitted his private school voucher bill would drain even more money from Texas public schools.
Last legislative session, Governor Abbott withheld school funding in retaliation after the Texas House refused to pass his voucher proposal. Now, public schools across Texas are closing campuses, cutting programs, and firing teachers.
Additionally, last week’s 22-hour hearing on House Bill 3 revealed that the voucher would balloon in cost from $1 billion to over $8 billion by 2029.
**Rep. James Talarico, co-chair of the House Democratic Caucus’ Special Committee on Education, issued the following statement: **
“Public schools are shutting down across Texas, but Greg Abbott is nowhere to be seen. He's too busy spending his time at expensive private schools. Our governor hasn't visited a Texas public school in years. He's too busy rallying for private school vouchers that will take money out of our underfunded public schools and give that money to wealthy parents who are already sending their kids to private school.”
“Two weeks ago, Greg Abbott rallied for vouchers at an expensive private school in Fort Worth. Meanwhile, 25 public schools in Fort Worth ISD are slated for closure. Now, he’s rallying for vouchers at yet another expensive private school in Plano. Meanwhile, a public school with a program dedicated to serving deaf students in Plano ISD is closing down. And this is happening all across Texas — but instead of fighting to keep our neighborhood schools open, our Governor is pushing a voucher scam that will take even more money out of our schools.
“This is Abbott's school closure crisis, and his only plan is to make it worse.”
**Rep. Mihaela Plesa, who represents Plano and serves as Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, issued the following statement: **
"Greg Abbott is rallying for his billionaire-backed voucher scam at an exclusive private school in Plano while a local public school serving deaf students in that same community is forced to close due to underfunding. Texans don’t want vouchers — they want fully funded neighborhood schools.
"After a bipartisan majority rejected his voucher scam, Abbott retaliated by withholding public school funding — now he’s making the crisis even worse. Texans see through his scam, and they won’t stand by while their neighborhood schools are gutted to fund handouts for the wealthy."