In a significant victory for proponents of school choice, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has enacted a comprehensive school choice bill.
This comes after years of striving to pass similar legislation in the state. The law will empower eligible parents to utilize public funds to offset the cost of tuition at any school of their choice.
As reported by the Daily Caller, the Texas Senate approved the bill on April 24, with a 19-12 vote, accepting revisions from the House to Senate Bill 2. The bill was then sent to the governor's desk on April 29. The legislation has allocated a budget of $1 billion for its inaugural year, with the cap set to be lifted in the subsequent year.
"Texas parents will finally have the power to choose what's best for their kids," Governor Abbott declared on X, prior to the bill's signing.
The new law stipulates that children accepted into the voucher program will receive 85% of the funding that public schools receive per student, which currently stands at approximately $10,000 per annum, as per KXAN. The program will initially only accept a limited number of students, with those with disabilities from households earning at or below 500% of the federal poverty line given top priority. Parents of students with disabilities who are accepted into the program could receive up to $30,000 annually.
However, the journey to this legislative victory was not without its challenges. A 2023 school choice measure, supported by Abbott, faced opposition from both Republicans and Democrats, a rarity for an issue typically divided along party lines. Republicans from rural areas expressed concerns about the potential adverse effects on their constituents, who might lack access to alternative schools in close proximity and could be left in underfunded and failing public schools. The estimated cost of the program, potentially exceeding $2 billion annually, also deterred some opponents.
Following the failure of the 2023 bill, Abbott reportedly campaigned against GOP opponents within the Texas legislature, according to Politico. That same year, the governor successfully signed a package of parental rights bills, enhancing parents' control over classroom materials, school library content, special education support, and grade-level decisions.
Abbott has previously labeled school choice as an "emergency item," asserting that the passage of such legislation is "vital to the future of our state."
The decline in public education quality, which has seen a significant number of students lagging in reading and math, has spurred a surge in advocates demanding improved education options. Evidence suggests that school choice programs can help bridge the performance gap between low-income students and their peers.
While several red states have successfully enacted and implemented school choice programs in recent years, others have rejected similar initiatives. Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska all failed to adopt school choice programs in 2024. According to FutureEd's legislative tracking of educational voucher programs, approximately 114 bills in 30 states were introduced in 2025 with the aim to "expand, revise, or limit private school choice."
This new law in Texas represents a significant step towards empowering parents to choose the best educational path for their children, reinforcing the conservative values of individual freedom and limited government intervention. It also serves as a testament to the growing demand for improved education options across the nation.
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