Single mom that works for us was approved for 2 kids. Makes about 45k a year, single mom.

Another single mom I know that makes around 40k a year was denied for 1 kid. She has three kids total.

We were declined. We are in tier 3 waiting line.

I wonder if we will be able to FOI the approved amounts, income of applicants and where they will be attending school.

Good for her! Hope it works out.

We got them for our 3 oldest. All homeschooled. My 6 year old needs speech. That was enough to get an IEP filed (barely in time with the deadline extension) and we got bumped to tier 1. Otherwise we'd be in tier 3.

We use a curriculum from a Catholic school that's out of state. They're trying to get approved as a vendor, but it sounded like it was unlikely for this year. They're looking at what it would take to file as a business in TX. We also belong to a co op that's not eligible because it's not a business entity and operates as a ministry at a parish. Apparently that precludes them from being a vendor. So it'll go to things like music instruction, books, uniforms, tutors, and art supplies, which is great.

Nope. Tier 3. 30k or something.

5 kids already in catholic school. All I wanted was a break on my property taxes. Instead we got this cluster.

AozorAg said:

---

Nah. I got a notification saying I'm tier 5 and my kids are above 100,000th in line. I didn't even know there was a tier 5. They probably just created it as a category for the people who will unquestionably never see a dime of voucher money.

---

Same. It's the category that are allowed to apply but only pay for the program. Dumb.

Same here - Tier 4 and were told between 50,000th and 100,000th in line…. we won't see a dime.

You can submit a Texas Public Information Act request for anything.

The kicker is whether or not you'll get the requested information.

Tier 5. 3 homeschool. 6 year old in speech and 4 year with medical issues. Not sure why we got tier 5.

A is A said:

---

Tier 5. 3 homeschool. 6 year old in speech and 4 year with medical issues. Not sure why we got tier 5.

---

Tier 5 means you reported income that puts you at 500% or more of the federal poverty level, and your children weren't enrolled in a public or charter school this year. Hoping they expand it next year to include everyone who wants to participate.

At this rate, this is gonna suck at dismantling public education.

SoulSlaveAG2005 said:

---

Nope. Tier 3. 30k or something.

5 kids already in catholic school. All I wanted was a break on my property taxes. Instead we got this cluster.

---

You not getting something you wanted doesn't make it a cluster. Besides, it JUST STARTED. I doubt it was going to be at peak operation immediately.

Sheesh.

AozorAg said:

---

Nah. I got a notification saying I'm tier 5 and my kids are above 100,000th in line. I didn't even know there was a tier 5. They probably just created it as a category for the people who will unquestionably never see a dime of voucher money.

---

We can start a club. I got the same notification: Approximate position is above 100,000; household priority is tier 5. But they'll let me know if my kid moves off the waitlist.

Just out of curiosity, are any of you all looking to use the funds to better your school situation or just trying see if you can get the money to help pay for your current fees?

91AggieLawyer said:

---

SoulSlaveAG2005 said:

---

Nope. Tier 3. 30k or something.

5 kids already in catholic school. All I wanted was a break on my property taxes. Instead we got this cluster.

---

You not getting something you wanted doesn't make it a cluster. Besides, it JUST STARTED. I doubt it was going to be at peak operation immediately.

Sheesh.

---

I didn't want or ask for this system. And it is a cluster. Schools made it a requisite that families enroll into this or you aren't eligible for any discounts/aid from the schools private funds. I appreciate every break we get, but also think that property tax reform and a maybe a slight discount on those taxes since our family isn't using the public system at all, would have been better.

10andBOUNCE said:

---

Just out of curiosity, are any of you all looking to use the funds to better your school situation or just trying see if you can get the money to help pay for your current fees?

---

We are in rural Texas. The school is a small Christian school that would get a huge boost in $$$ if parents get the vouchers. Right now we are constantly doing fundraisers to fund the school which is renting a church to hold classes. Our one employee who received the $$$ is now moving her kids to a private school in Waco she otherwise couldn't afford (if they get in).

We started our son in public school this year but after a month of him not doing great moved him to private. He's done great there. He's in kinder.

like so many new programs from politicians, it sounded great in principle. They get it passed, they can say see we care about xyz. Then it's an absolute cluster when people actually try to use it and it really doesn't accomplish much. Kind of like Obamacare

itsyourboypookie said:

---

Single mom that works for us was approved for 2 kids. Makes about 45k a year, single mom.

Another single mom I know that makes around 40k a year was denied for 1 kid. She has three kids total.

We were declined. We are in tier 3 waiting line.

I wonder if we will be able to FOI the approved amounts, income of applicants and where they will be attending school.

---

Most families earning 100K+ were moved to tier 3. The program passed because, in part, to aid low income families. If those families can move their childern from public to private school is the real question.

I haven't seen any response yet. Did you all get an email (if so, who is the sender) or snail mail?

Quote:

---

Tier 5 means you reported income that puts you at 500% or more of the federal poverty level,

---

Isn't that like $150k for a family of 4? Seems pretty low to be totally excluded.

I guess that's what happens when a lib is the speaker of our house.

If they hadn't put the income restrictions in it, then it becomes a tax break for rich people who send their kids to private schools. Then it never passes at all.
The bill was sold as a way for poor families to get their kids out of failing schools and into better schools. That's not going to happen either. All it does at best is give those at the margins of being able to afford private schools the chance to now afford it.

Tier 5 checking in!

We're already private but applied at the request of the school to show the state there is demand for this for future funding. We know several that have gotten them and several on the waitlist.

HTownAg98 said:

---

If they hadn't put the income restrictions in it, then it becomes a tax break for rich people who send their kids to private schools. Then it never passes at all.
The bill was sold as a way for poor families to get their kids out of failing schools and into better schools. That's not going to happen either. All it does at best is give those at the margins of being able to afford private schools the chance to now afford it.

---

$150k with a family of 4 isn't rich.

Government program doesn't help anyone and costs a lot of money. Who could have seen this coming.

We did not get anything yet. Wait listed in Tier 3. Curious how many that were awarded money are enrolled or can enroll in a private school by the deadline.

We are going the public christian school route regardless. My wife is going to teach at one and take the paycut to do that. Extra money would have been nice and make it cost $0 but that wasn't in the cards I guess.

TexasAg95 said:

---

like so many new programs from politicians, it sounded great in principle. They get it passed, they can say see we care about xyz. Then it's an absolute cluster when people actually try to use it and it really doesn't accomplish much. Kind of like Obamacare

---

LOL. Its nothing like that at all!

School vouchers is an excellent idea, but due to lobbyist Libs, unions and teacher groups, the implementation was terrible.

Obamacare was a terrible idea from the beginning, only made worse by lobbyists!

Im Gipper said:

---

TexasAg95 said:

---

like so many new programs from politicians, it sounded great in principle. They get it passed, they can say see we care about xyz. Then it's an absolute cluster when people actually try to use it and it really doesn't accomplish much. Kind of like Obamacare

---

LOL. Its nothing like that at all!

School vouchers is an excellent idea, but due to lobbyist Libs, unions and teacher groups, the implementation was terrible.

Obamacare was a terrible idea from the beginning, only made worse by lobbyists!

---

It's unintended consequences of another government program. Same story over and over again. Someone will make a ton of money off of it and it will cost more than it was supposed to.
They could have just lowered property taxes.

Im Gipper said:

---

TexasAg95 said:

---

like so many new programs from politicians, it sounded great in principle. They get it passed, they can say see we care about xyz. Then it's an absolute cluster when people actually try to use it and it really doesn't accomplish much. Kind of like Obamacare

---

LOL. Its nothing like that at all!

School vouchers is an excellent idea, but due to lobbyist Libs, unions and teacher groups, the implementation was terrible.

Obamacare was a terrible idea from the beginning, only made worse by lobbyists!

---

Remember when the likes of Abbott and Patrick were endorsing primary challengers of those who voted against vouchers the first time around? I guess their replacements were libs then.
Some people tried to point out this plan was not good.

RogerFurlong said:

---

Im Gipper said:

---

TexasAg95 said:

---

like so many new programs from politicians, it sounded great in principle. They get it passed, they can say see we care about xyz. Then it's an absolute cluster when people actually try to use it and it really doesn't accomplish much. Kind of like Obamacare

---

LOL. Its nothing like that at all!

School vouchers is an excellent idea, but due to lobbyist Libs, unions and teacher groups, the implementation was terrible.

Obamacare was a terrible idea from the beginning, only made worse by lobbyists!

---

It's unintended consequences of another government program. Same story over and over again. Someone will make a ton of money off of it and it will cost more than it was supposed to.
They could have just lowered property taxes.

---

And, the current school structure makes the argument of "competitive schools" really dumb. A few are really good, but most people don't live close enough to take their kids to those schools. So 6K to support private schools. But they don't have access to community school bonds, so how will they expand to accommodate any real growth. Parents are the key to kids; school discipline and intrinsically motivated desires are all apart of his.

Just another gov scam job.

If I am not mistaken, this was funded at a billion dollars and was intended to create roughly 100,000 vouchers - out of millions of school age kids. The odds of anyone getting them was fairly low, but especially if you have higher income.

The camels nose is under the tent. This will get likely be expanded and have more funding every session as long as the economy is doing ok in Texas and Repulicans maintain their majority. It will eventually be available to a lot more families.

would love to see the stats come August. i want to know how many kids were public this year and switch to private next year because of the vouchers. I do not know one person that was approved. I know many that were put on a wait list of "100,000+ people".

edited to add. i also want to know which schools are getting the money and how much.

Are there any stories of kids getting out of the 'hood schools and into Highland Park like the program was painted as?