Texas Aims to Boost School Choice Program by $150 Million a Year

Texas Comptroller Don Huffines has requested that lawmakers double the funding for the state's private school voucher program, the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), to over $2 billion for the 2028-29 biennium. This request seeks to expand the program's base funding by $1 billion to allow more families to use taxpayer money for private school or home-schooling costs, in addition to an extra $226 million to accommodate funding increases for current participants.

The comptroller's request includes $916 million to continue funding the approximately 110,000 students currently participating in the program and $980 million to fund the more than 106,000 students on the waitlist. The program, launched this school year, currently provides about $10,500 annually for private school students and up to $2,000 for home-schoolers. Students with disabilities are eligible for up to $30,000, although fewer than 30 have received the full amount. The program has already allocated $270 million, with $127 million for private school tuition and $36 million for educational products.

Critics, including the Texas State Teachers Association, have voiced concerns about the proposed expansion, citing a lack of transparency regarding beneficiaries and potential diversion of funds from public schools. State data indicates that 70% of participating families were already in private school or home-schooled, with an additional report suggesting that 80% of students on the waitlist were not previously in public school. Legislative budget experts previously projected the program's costs could rise to $4.8 billion by 2030, and funding the entire waitlist could push the biennial cost to nearly $4 billion.

Approximately 24% of TEFA participants have a disability, and 80% are from low-income families. The comptroller's office anticipates about 15,000 participants will receive new special education documentation, making them eligible for increased funding, and around 4,200 students are expected to switch from homeschooling to private school, increasing their award by at least $8,474.