After about a decade of debating on whether or not the State of Texas should have education savings accounts, also known as vouchers, the Texas 89th Legislature finally got it through the hurdle and is now sitting on the Governors desk waiting to be signed.
On April 24th, the Texas Senate voted to establish a new statewide private school voucher program. This decision may have resolved a contentious internal conflict within the Republican Party that has influenced state politics for much of the past two years. In the past, similar legislation faced resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. However, this changed last week when the Texas House passed SB 2, gaining support from Republicans who had previously opposed such measures in 2023.
Gov. Abbott has expressed his intention to sign Senate Bill 2, a $1 billion proposal that allows families to use taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s private school education. Upon Abbott’s signature, the program will officially launch at the start of the 2026-27 school year, not the 2025-2026 school year. So, once signed, those who want to join the voucher program will need to wait another 15 months.
According to the legislation, SB 2 would allocate $1 billion in taxpayer funds over a two-year period for education savings accounts. Families would be able to use these accounts for private school tuition and other school-related expenses, such as textbooks, transportation, and therapy.
In a “Texas Senate News” article on Feb. 5, 2025, applications would be open to any parent of a school age child in Texas. If the number of applications does not exceed capacity, all applicants will be accepted. However, if the applications exceed available slots, then 80 percent of positions will be allocated to students who demonstrate financial or special educational needs. Financial need is defined as a household income below 500 percent of the federal poverty level, which is approximately $160,000 annually for a family of four. The remaining 20 percent of positions will be open to all applicants, regardless of need, with slots for both categories awarded by lottery.
Accounts will begin with a balance of $2,000, which homeschooling families can use. If a student is enrolled in an accredited private school, the accounts can hold up to $10,000, with an additional $1,500 available for students with special education requirements.
During the last legislative session, schools lost out on $7.6 billion, which Governor Abbott withheld when the proposed vouchers did not receive enough support to pass. School officials have highlighted the difficult decisions that districts across Texas have had to make since then. These include adopting budget deficits, which include Brownfield ISD, plus area school districts like Lubbock ISD, Lubbock-Cooper ISD, Midland ISD, Amarillo ISD, Ector County ISD, Denver City ISD, Big Spring ISD, Snyder ISD, and many more. Another difficult decision has been to shut down or consolidate campuses. Many school boards, administrators, and teachers believe that this situation shows the state has not sufficiently invested in public education.
The proposal would limit the state to spending no more than $1 billion on the program during the first biennium. If public demand exceeds the funding available, the bill would give priority eligibility to students with disabilities and families it considers low-income. The measure would also prioritize students who exit public schools over those already enrolled in private schools.
In contrast to public schools, which are mandated by law to educate every child in their community who seeks admission, the proposed bill would remove that requirement for private schools. This means that private institutions can selectively enforce their own admissions criteria, allowing them to deny enrollment to any child, even those prioritized for eligibility by the state. That means private schools can still deny any child the state places first in line for eligibility.
SB 2 does not require participants to take the same state standardized tests that public school students must take each year, specifically the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Critics of the voucher system, along with some school officials, argue that this exemption creates an uneven playing field since the state often uses these exams to assess the performance of school districts and educators. However, the voucher bill requires participating students to take a nationally recognized exam. Additionally, it requires the state to provide an annual report that includes data on the demographics of participating children, their test results, and their preparedness for college, careers, and military service.
