Dear Texas Legislator,

As a proud Texan, I value the role public schools play in shaping our future. I oppose private school subsidies, also known as vouchers or education savings accounts. I believe private school subsidies are wasteful, deceitful, inefficient, and unfair.

Public school dollars should go only to public schools. Public schools in Texas are underfunded by billions of dollars every year. The Comptroller is projecting a large increase in state revenue over the next two years compared to the past two years, and that money should go to fully funding public education.

Private schools pick and choose which students to admit. Vouchers force taxpayers to subsidize private schools' preferences. And without elected boards or state oversight, vouchers give away tax dollars with no financial or academic accountability.

Public schools educate more than 90 percent of Texas students, serving all the students in their boundaries. They build the workforce that powers the Texas economy. We can't afford to underwrite a few special choices at the expense of our collective future.

We elect legislators to represent the interests of their communities. Responding to their communities, Texas legislators have rejected private school subsidies time after time.

In the face of increasing pressure from special interests, I pledge that I will stand with my legislators in opposing vouchers. When they vote against private school subsidies, I will make sure all their constituents know they did the right thing.

Sincerely,