Carl Stewart had just dropped eight students off from his school bus in Central City Monday afternoon when he heard gunshots. He yelled for his remaining passengers to get down, just as he saw through his rearview mirror that the vehicle’s back glass window had been shattered by a bullet.

Tension over how children with disabilities fit into the school choice debate was on display in a recent House Public Education committee, when Chairman Brad Buckley sparred with a Central Texas mother who said her special-needs son was denied entry to private schools in the area.

Since the start of 2020, teachers and education leaders alike say they understand the importance of equitable education. Yet, they cite having difficulty implementing inclusive solutions due to several external factors.