I Did Some Research on Public Schools

To the Editor:

In response to last week’s letter, “Do Some Research” discussing school choice, I did some research.As of the 2024– 2025 fiscal year, Texas allocates approximately $13,170 per K-12 student in average daily attendance (ADA) for public education, with 55% of the funding coming from local property taxes ( tea.texas.gov). Texas’s per-student spending remains below the national average. In 2024–2025, the national average expenditure per K–12 public school student is $17,277 ( educationdata.org).

As of the 2021–2022 academic year, teachers in La Grange ISD earned an average salary of $51,240, which is $7,647 less than the state average ( schools.texastribune.org). For the 2024–2025 school year, La Grange ISD salaries range from $45,000 for new teachers to $58,040 for those with 25+ years of experience. As bad as that sounds, it’s still better than the average Texas private school teacher salary of $43,405 as of December 2024 ( teachersoftomorrow.org). For comparison, the median full-time annual wage in Q4 of 2024 was approximately $61,984 ( bls.gov). Meanwhile, the average annual salary at Lowe’s in Texas starts at $37,050 for entry-level positions, with experienced workers earning up to $62,400 annually ( talent.com).

So, if the claim is that “teachers unions have way too much power,” they are doing a poor job of representing teachers. And as for the idea that “teachers couldn’t care less about the students,” that statement is completely false. Have you ever met a teacher? If not, I suggest you meet some—and then reconsider your statement.

Now, back to school vouchers. As of the 2021–2022 academic year, approximately 5% of Texas K–12 students were enrolled in private schools ( tea. texas.gov). An additional 5% are homeschooled ( master- mindbehavior.com). The current school voucher proposal would provide $10,000 annually per student ($11,500 for special needs) to cover tuition at accredited private schools, and $2,000 per homeschooled student.

In case you missed it, all of us pay for public schools— whether we have kids or not. That means if we fund school vouchers, the money must come from the public-school budget—unless new revenue sources, such as increased taxes, are introduced. If you do the math, diverting these funds would reduce public school funding by at least 5% next year, 2026—and that doesn’t account for additional students leaving for private schools.

So, what will likely be cut first? Sports, club programs, and the arts. Think football, baseball, volleyball, shop classes, FFA, and theater.

Let’s be clear: school vouchers will primarily benefit families who already afford private school—mostly upperincome households—while reducing resources for those who rely on public education.

School vouchers are not “separate but equal.” They are a financial burden on the community that we can ill afford.

Call Representative Stan Kitzman at (512) 463-0710 and tell him to vote against taking money from our public schools.

Ian Julian La Grange