The decade-long debate over school choice in Texas ended in May when Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law, which will allow parents of school-aged children to use taxpayer funds to send their children to an accredited private school.
The law went into effect on Sept. 1, 2025. The application process begins Feb. 4, 2026. First awards will be available to participating families for the 2026-2027 school year.
In the meantime, the Texas Comptroller’s Office has been laying the groundwork for the voucher program’s education account, known as the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA).
Explaining School Choice in Texas
The passage of Senate Bill 2 provided $1 billion in initial funding to create TEFA. From a government perspective, the education freedom accounts (EFAs) are designed to expand educational opportunities for Texas school children.
“We’re moving quickly to launch this program, keeping the end goal in sight every step of the way — giving parents the freedom to choose the best educational path for their children to reach their God-given potential,” Acting Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Kelly Hancock said in a press release. “This is about empowering families, expanding opportunity, and making sure every child can learn in the environment that works best for them.”
In October, Hancock announced that New York-based Odyssey will manage an end-to-end platform that will support parents, schools, service providers, and state administrators.
Odyssey brings a strong track record of successfully managing education freedom programs across several states, including Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, Utah, and Wyoming.
“As the leading school choice platform in the country, we are thrilled to partner with the Comptroller’s office to launch a Texas-sized program to empower Texas parents,” said Odyssey Founder and CEO Joseph Connor. “Having successfully served hundreds of thousands of students across the nation, we are ready to deliver a user-friendly and trustworthy platform that can ensure a seamless rollout.”
Parents who apply for this must provide proof that their child is a U.S. citizen or admitted legally into the U.S., lives in Texas, and is eligible to attend a public school, an open-enrollment charter school, or eligible for a pre-k or kindergarten program.
Most participating families will receive 85% of the statewide average amount, estimated at $10,800 per child, according to the TEFA website.
Families of children with disabilities who are eligible for the program could receive up to $30,000. To qualify, the child must have an individualized education program (IEP) that is on file with the Texas Education Agency by the end of the application period. Families who homeschool their children would be eligible for up to $2,000 annually.
The State Comptroller’s Office released the final rules for the program in November, which include the following:
- A family’s adjusted gross income will be used in determining prioritization for participation
- Families of students with disabilities may submit a licensed expert’s evaluation for prioritization, but an IEP is required to qualify for the additional financial support
- Participating students who remain in good standing will not need to reapply each year
An Uphill Battle for Texas Public Schools
Although many in the state government consider the implementation of TEFA a win for Texas families, some educators are concerned about a steep decline in student enrollment.
Dr. Eva Flores, Dean of Instruction for Rio Hondo ISD Middle School, sees TEFA as a critical blow to public school funding.
“I believe in public education, and I come from a public education family. My parents were both public school teachers, so this is in my blood,” said Flores. “I believe we are doing great things here in the public education system. It is disheartening what is happening right now, because the funding is being pulled in so many different directions and public school funding can’t keep up with inflation.”
Robert Carreon, Vice President of Public Affairs–Texas Teach for America, said there is a high level of uncertainty among the educators in the Valley who are worried that this new program will negatively impact the public education system.
“Many people have real concern about the potential loss of students from the public school system to private schools now that those students can receive state-funded support for tuition,” he said.
The Texas Legislative Budget Board projected that the TEFA program would cost taxpayers $989 million in the 2026-2027 school year and increase to $4.7 billion in the 2029-2030 school year, along with a reduction in funding for public schools of at least $805 million in the 2029-2030 school year, said Carreon.
“The new funding for public education in the 2025 legislative session was $8.5 billion total for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years; so, in essence, the program expenditures are projected to be more than the increase in public education funding in the most recent legislative session,” Carreon said. “This creates a tension in our education system, as school districts would absolutely appreciate and put to good use any new funding that comes to them through legislative action.”
Meanwhile, school district leaders in the Valley who anticipate a drop in student enrollment are carefully considering what they can trim from their budgets, while still providing quality public school education.
Flores said these are some of the most difficult discussions they are having in her district as they prepare for making drastic changes ahead of the 2026-2027 school year.
“Our superintendent is reviewing our budget to determine what exactly can be cut,” said Flores. “We don’t want to cut curriculum, so we are trying to write and apply for as many grants as we can. Our goal is to maintain a solid curriculum and instruction, while cutting back in other areas that are less sustainable. We owe that to our kids.”
