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TRS: Voucher bill won’t hurt Texas teacher retirement fund

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feeds.texastribune.org – By Jaden Edison – 2025-02-19 19:29:00

Texas Teacher Retirement System leader says Senate voucher proposal would not harm retirement funds

Texas Teacher Retirement System leader says Senate voucher proposal would not harm retirement funds” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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The head of Texas’ Teacher Retirement System on Wednesday sought to assure lawmakers that a Senate proposal to create a school voucher program would not harm the state’s teacher retirement fund as suggested in a recent legislative analysis.

During a House Appropriations Committee meeting, lawmakers who help oversee the state budget questioned Brian Guthrie, executive director of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, on how Senate Bill 2 could affect the stability of funds reserved for retired teachers.

Under SB 2, families could receive public tax dollars through state-managed education savings accounts to pay for their children’s tuition at an accredited private school and other expenses like textbooks, transportation and therapy.

Texas budget experts recently concluded in their analysis of SB 2 that public schools, which receive money based on attendance, may experience a decrease in funding due to students leaving the public education system to participate in the voucher program.

The analysis, which relies on estimates provided by the Texas Education Agency, projects that roughly 24,500 students would leave public schools for private schools starting in the 2026-27 school year, increasing to 98,000 by 2030. Public school administrators and education advocates have long opposed the creation of a voucher program in Texas, saying it would deal a significant blow to public school funding.

But a different part of the bill analysis, based on information provided by the Teacher Retirement System, raised worries among public education advocates and state lawmakers in recent weeks. The analysis noted that a decrease in the number of teachers paying into the state’s teacher retirement fund — which could happen if a voucher program leads students and teachers to exit public schools for private schools — could affect the fund’s long-term stability. Lawmakers on Wednesday said they have received concerns from their constituents about the stability of the retirement funds.

Guthrie apologized to House lawmakers for the commotion the SB 2 analysis has caused. Based on the content of the bill and the education agency estimates his organization has reviewed, Guthrie clarified that he does not believe the legislation would harm Texas’ teacher retirement fund. The Teacher Retirement System executive director said his agency intended to offer the scenario in the bill analysis as a hypothetical, adding that “it would be very difficult for SB 2” as it currently exists and with current projections to hurt the fund’s stability. The analysis also states that the retirement system can currently withstand “some outflow of teacher employment from public schools to private schools.”

“That’s just the bottom line,” Guthrie said.

That explanation did not appear to fully settle Rep. Mary E. González’s concerns. The Clint Democrat noted that the SB 2 analysis does not account for changes to population growth, public school enrollment or birth rates, for example. She suggested those factors, combined with a voucher program, could also affect the number of students and teachers in public schools and the fund’s stability.

“We can all have different opinions about SB 2,” González said. “But I do want our retired teachers to have all the accurate information, and I think that’s really critical.”

The SB 2 analysis noted that the number of teachers paying into the retirement fund in the future will “ultimately depend on Texas’ population growth.” The number of teachers contributing to the retirement fund has consistently gone up in recent years, the analysis shows.

During the Senate floor debate over the legislation earlier this month, Sen. Brandon Creighton, the Conroe Republican who authored the bill, sought to reassure his colleagues that the proposal would not affect the Teacher Retirement System, stating that “we would never design a program that would put TRS at risk.”

He made those comments in response to questions from Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, who also said she has seen no evidence from other states that voucher programs harm teacher retirement funds. In a finance committee meeting last week, Huffman again attempted to dismiss those concerns.

“Of course we are committed to not doing anything to hurt our retired” teachers, she said. “It would be stupid to do.”


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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/19/texas-teacher-retirement-school-vouchers/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

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News from the South - Texas News Feed

Mostly cloudy, slight chance of storms west of SA tonight

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www.youtube.com – KSAT 12 – 2025-04-28 09:56:50

SUMMARY:

Title: Mostly cloudy, slight chance of storms west of SA tonight.

Summary: Good Monday morning! I’m meteorologist Justin Horn sharing the forecast. Today will be mostly cloudy with temperatures near 90. Although there’s a slight chance of showers tonight due to potential storms from Mexico, it’s unlikely to impact the river parade. Tomorrow should remain quiet, but expect increased rain chances midweek, particularly Wednesday evening with possible strong thunderstorms. A 40% chance of rain is forecast for Wednesday, along with similar chances on Thursday and Friday. Stay weather-aware, especially with ongoing Fiesta events, but no need to cancel plans.

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Better chances of rain by midweek.

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Fiesta de los Niños celebrates STEM learning and video games at Fiesta 2025

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www.youtube.com – KSAT 12 – 2025-04-27 22:14:14

SUMMARY: Fiesta de los Niños at Fiesta 2025 celebrates STEM through engaging activities for kids, including video games and technology. The event, held at Port San Antonio, emphasizes the fusion of tradition and innovation, inspiring creativity in children like nine-year-old Josiah Gonzalez. Despite facing challenges related to his disabilities, Josiah finds solace in gaming, which enhances his focus and creativity. The event features free activities such as driving simulators and augmented reality, aiming to make STEM accessible to all kids. Josiah’s mom highlights its positive impact, noting that one event can significantly influence a child’s future.

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Thousands of families celebrated this year’s Fiesta with a science twist at Fiesta de los Niños.

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Search Continues for Driver Who Ran Over Two Teenage Girls and Drove Off Without Helping

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www.youtube.com – KPRC 2 Click2Houston – 2025-04-27 22:04:50

SUMMARY: Authorities are searching for a driver who struck two teenage girls on separate bicycles early this morning on Airline Drive in West Mount Houston and fled the scene. Surveillance footage captured the incident, showing a 2008 Black Audi hitting the girls around 3:00 a.m., reversing, and potentially hitting one of them again before driving away. Both girls, aged 15, are from the local neighborhood and are hospitalized, one in critical condition and the other serious. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez reports that they have identified the suspect vehicle, but the driver remains unknown. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

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Two teenagers were injured after being struck by a driver who fled the scene.
Surveillance images show several other cars driving by without stopping to help.
The incident occurred at the corner of Airline and West Mount Houston at around 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

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