AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 44) – Governor Greg Abbott has issued a proclamation expanding the Special Session #3 agenda for universal school choice to include additional school finance, such as teacher pay raises, school safety and special education.

According to the Office of the Governor, the expanded special session agenda follows productive discussions with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan.

Key aspects of the legislation to expand school choice in Texas include:

• Universal eligibility for all K-12 schoolchildren in Texas.
• Voluntary participation – parents, students, and schools choose whether they want to participate.
• Students will receive approximately $10,400 per year in their Education Savings Accounts.
• Phases out the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Test.
• Students participating in the program will have the option of taking a norm-referenced test or STAAR test to ensure the program achieves good educational outcomes.
• Billions more in funding for Texas public schools for the biennium, including teacher pay raises and school safety.

You can view Gov. Abbott’s expanded session proclamation here.