Senator Jane Nelson
P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711
Dear Senator Nelson,
I write to you as a concerned parent of a Keller ISD student. It has come to my attention that you are a supporter of
educational savings accounts or vouchers.
Vouchers only provide school choice to those students whose families have the ability to pay the difference between the
voucher funds and the cost of private school. Where is the money to fund these educational savings accounts or “vouchers”
going to come from? Even with increasing property values in Keller, few parents in Keller ISD generate enough tax revenue to
fully fund their children’s public school education as it is. If the voucher system were put in place tomorrow Texas would have
to offer vouchers to the nearly 600,000 students ALREADY being educated outside of the state’s public school system. At
DAY ONE, this initiative would cost Texas approximately $4.7 BILLION per year and not one single student would have left the
public education system. How is that school choice? And where is the funding going to come from to cover this expense?
How is this enormous amount going to be accounted for when a district like Keller ISD is already so underfunded? This is over
burdening a district that is not only fiscally responsibly but is consistently top ranked academically. Why would you want to
penalize a school district in such a way yet shroud it as “school choice”? Please, we beg you listen to your voters on this
matter. Vote NO to educational savings accounts/vouchers!
I would also like to bring the funding for Keller ISD to your attention. Spending per student in the State of Texas averages
$8,000. Keller ISD currently spends only $7,000 per student. Neighboring districts, of like size, spend upwards of $7,800$8,400 per student. Meanwhile Keller ISD is funded approximately $500-$1,000 less per student than these same like sized
districts. When you multiply that by the number of students in Keller this equates to $33 million in underfunding per year! If
you were to add a voucher system on top of this, you would be unfairly crippling a truly superb district. School funding must be
fair and equitable and it is not for Keller ISD.
We look for your leadership on these matters. We thank you for your service and hope that you will take our views into
consideration, as you will vote in favor with your constituency.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Keller ISD Parent