San Antonio Standard

Gov. Greg Abbott visited a Bryan Christian private school on Tuesday where he reaffirmed his support for parental rights when it comes to their children’s education, per a press release issued by the Office of the Texas Governor.

“Our country is premised on freedom, and that freedom as it concerns raising children rests the most in parents,” Abbott, a Republican, told an audience of more than 200 people gathered at the Parent Empowerment Night at Brazos Christian School, according to his office. “Parents deserve the freedom to choose the best education pathway for their child.”

The governor added that the state’s curriculum must be reformed to return to what he called “the basics of learning.”

“We must empower parents,” Abbott said, per the release. “Parents should have access to curriculum, school libraries and what their children are taught. And we will do that with our Parental Bill of Rights. No one knows what is better for a child's success than their parents.”

Proponents said school choice allows parents to use their tax dollars to enroll their children in private or charter schools while critics claimed it would deprive public schools of funding. 

State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) said in a report from San Antonio CBS affiliate KENS many parents have expressed support toward school choice, especially with the concept gaining steam among GOP voters in Texas’ rural areas. 

“It’s a new day for how we look at education in Texas going forward,” the senator, whose district includes portions of Montgomery, Harris, Chambers, Jefferson and Galveston counties in Southeast Texas, said.

In his 2023 State of the State Address, the governor said educational freedom is among a cadre of emergency items during the ongoing 88th regular session of the Texas Legislature. 

“When it comes to education, parents matter,” Abbott said in the release. “This is so vital to the future of our state.”