WACO, Texas (KXXV) — As the topic of school vouchers looms over the state, right in our own community at Waco ISD, parents have multiple options for the best fit for their children.
- School vouchers, often referred to as school choice programs, use public funds to help families pay for their children’s private education.
- Waco ISD offers multiple options for parents to choose what's best for their child, from allowing them to go to their school of choice while living outside district lines to placing their child in a Montessori school.
- For more information on the district's options, click here.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Lakeena Fowler is no stranger to the Waco ISD community.
“It was AJ Moore, no longer AJ Moore, it’s now integrated with University, but my oldest, she goes to University,” Fowler, a Waco ISD graduate and parent, said.
Even though she lived outside district lines, she knew Waco ISD was the right place for them.
“So we live in China Spring and we have been a Hillcrest family since my oldest, she's 16, she went to Hillcrest and all three of them, they, they go to Hillcrest, of course, but she went as well, and we chose Hillcrest because Hillcrest is a community, it's diverse and they thrive,” Fowler said.
Lakeena saw her kids connected and thriving in the classroom, which reassured her that she had made the right choice.
With the vote on school choice looming, public school districts like Waco ISD already have options you can choose from, from transferring districts to enrolling in Montessori school.
“We love the Montessori style of teaching. It works really well for our children, but we wanted our kids in a public option,” said Mary Danielson, another Waco ISD parent.
Mary Danielson has two kids enrolled at Lake Air Montessori Magnet School.
She tells me her family considered different options for where her kids would go, and felt this was best.
“We entered the lottery, and we're just delighted that our girls got in here,” Danielson said.
With several options at Waco ISD, the goal is for children to thrive in a comfortable learning environment they love.
“We had our girls in private school before and everybody kind of looked like them, and we were very uncomfortable with that, so we moved in the Waco ISD because we really wanted “them to know the people in their neighborhoods and know the people in their community and be comfortable with being in Waco and like where they live. We live in the middle of the city. We want our girls to be in the city,” Danielson said.
“Children need to be able to thrive in environments where they see people that look like them and people who do not look like them,” Fowler said.
