Proposals to give private school vouchers to children with disabilities provoked heated debate in the Texas Legislature on Tuesday, as educators, parents and lawmakers weighed in on the controversial issue. 

Proponents of the programs say private schools would provide better options for children with disabilities, such as autism. Opponents ay they would strip schools of the ability to educate special needs children who don’t qualify for a voucher. 

“We don’t want the public funds coming out of the public school system,” said Craig Tounget, coordinator of the Texas Coalition for Public Schools. 

One bill, by Republican Sen. Tommy Williams of The Woodlands, would grant publicly financed scholarships to the parents of certain disabled students. 

Besides Williams’ bill, Sen. Florence Shapiro, R‐Plano, offered a less sweeping proposal that would give vouchers to the parents of children with autism. 

Several teacher and educator groups opposed the initiatives, saying they would take much‐needed tax dollars away from the public education system. According to a Senate analysis, there are 435,000 special needs kids who would be eligible for the program that would be established by Williams’ legislation. 

The analysis estimates that about 10 percent would apply, costing the state about $1.2 million over the first two years of the program.

 “These proposed vouchers would make it increasingly difficult for public schools to serve the needs of the many special education students whose families wouldn’t be able to use such programs,” said Jerry Bonham, president of the Association of Texas Professional Educators. 

During a hearing on the proposals, advocates and parents of children with autism gave sometimes tearful testimony about their struggles with the public education bureaucracy. 

“This is not about vouchers. This is about finding solutions to these kids with autism,” said Gail Wayman of the Plano‐based Wayman Learning Center, a private school for children with special needs.

At one point during the discussion of a proposal aimed at getting non‐government help for autistic children, Sen. Dan Patrick, R‐Houston, pounded on his desk as he berated opponents and urged them to “pray about” the families who aren’t receiving proper instruction from public schools. 

“What about just doing the right thing” for children, Patrick said. “You all are just wrong on this issue.”