School Choice, Vouchers and Education Savings Accounts
Texas now gives some families public money to pay for private school, homeschooling and other education costs. Supporters call it school choice; critics often call it vouchers. The program launched for the 2026-27 school year with far more applicants than money, so its future size is a live question.
The basics
Supporters usually say 'school choice' or 'education freedom.' Opponents often say 'vouchers.' This page uses the program's legal name, education savings accounts (ESAs), which put state money in an account parents spend on approved costs.
In 2025, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 2, creating Texas Education Freedom Accounts with $1 billion in initial funding. The program's first year is the 2026-27 school year1. Families can use the money for private school tuition, homeschool curriculum, tutoring, special education services and supplies3.
For 2026-27, a student at an approved private school can get about $10,474. A student with a disability can get up to $30,000, and a homeschooled student up to $2,0001. Private schools must be accredited, have operated at least two years, and give students in grades 3 to 12 a standardized test1.
Demand outran funding. More than 274,000 students applied for year one2. Year-one money went first to low- and middle-income students with disabilities, then to low-income students, with a lottery inside the second group2. By August 13, 2026, 101,600 students had received funding, and more than 100,000 remained on the waitlist3.
The same year, lawmakers also passed House Bill 2, an $8.5 billion package for public schools that included $4.2 billion for teacher and staff raises4.
Key terms
- Education savings account (ESA)
- A state-funded account parents can spend on approved education costs, including private school tuition. Texas calls its program Texas Education Freedom Accounts1.
- Voucher
- A term, often used by critics, for public money that pays private school tuition. Supporters of the Texas program usually prefer 'education savings account' or 'school choice.'
- Charter school
- A public school run by an independent operator under a state contract. It is free and open to the public, unlike a private school.
- Priority tiers
- The order in which year-one accounts were awarded, starting with lower-income students with disabilities, then low-income students2.
In Texas
SB 2 passed in 2025 after the Texas House voted against a similar proposal in 20235. The first year's application pool showed nearly three-quarters of applicants were from low- or middle-income families2. The Comptroller's office runs the program and must report the waitlist to the Legislature to inform future funding2.
The next big decision comes in the 2027 legislative session, when lawmakers decide whether to expand, hold steady or change the program's funding and rules. Public school funding levels are part of the same budget fight.
How people see it
The strongest case for each view, in terms its supporters would recognize. We don't pick a side.
Universal choice
Every family, not just those who can afford private tuition or a house in the right district, should be able to pick the school that fits their child. Funding should follow the student. Competition pushes all schools, including public ones, to improve, and the long waitlist shows parents want this.
Targeted choice
Choice matters most for children with disabilities and low-income kids stuck in struggling schools. Focusing the money on them gets the most help to the students who need it, without turning the program into a subsidy for families already paying private tuition.
Public charters, not private schools
Families deserve options, but public money should go to schools that are free, open to all and held to state testing and accountability rules. Charter schools offer choice while staying inside the public system.
Keep public money in public schools
Most Texas children attend traditional public schools, and many rural areas have no private schools at all. Every dollar sent to private schools is a dollar not spent on teacher pay or special education, and private schools do not face the same accountability or have to accept every child.
Scale back charters too
Charter expansion and ESAs both pull students and funding out of neighborhood public schools, which still have to cover buildings, buses and staff. The state should rebuild support for the local public schools that serve the most children.
Who decides
- Texas Legislature and Governor: Decide whether the ESA program exists, how much it gets, and who qualifies. They also set public school funding.
- Lieutenant Governor: Runs the Texas Senate and heavily shapes which education bills pass.
- Texas Comptroller (elected; on the November 2026 ballot): Runs the ESA program day to day, approves providers and awards accounts1. The current Comptroller was appointed by the Governor in 2026, ahead of the election6.
- State Board of Education (elected): Can block a new charter school proposed by the Education Commissioner by a majority vote within 90 days7.
- Local school board: Runs your public schools and sets their budget and tax rate within state limits.
Questions to ask a candidate
- Should the education savings account program grow, stay the same size, shrink or end?
- Should families of any income qualify, or only lower-income families and students with disabilities?
- What testing or accountability should private schools that take ESA money have to meet?
- How would you make sure rural public schools are not hurt by the program?
Last reviewed 2026-09-26. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.
Sources
- Texas Education Freedom AccountsTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Comptroller's Office Releases Comprehensive Overview of Texas Education Freedom Account ApplicationsTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- 100,000 Students Receiving Texas Education Freedom Accounts (Aug. 13, 2026)Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Texas school funding bill signed: teacher pay and special educationTexas Standard
- Amid cheers and protests, Gov. Abbott signs $1 billion Texas school voucher bill into lawTexas Public Radio
- Sworn in as Texas comptroller ahead of November electionsKERA News
- Texas Education Code Section 12.101FindLaw (Texas Education Code)