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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill Saturday that will create a $1 billion school choice program, the largest initial funding for a program of its kind in the nation.
The signing took place outdoors shortly after 2:00 p.m. at the governor’s mansion in Austin in front of a crowd of supporters that included a large group of applauding students behind the governor. The event was carried live by at least one Austin TV station.
“Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned by government,” said Abbott, moments before signing. “The day has arrived that empowers parents to chose the school that is best for their child.”
The bill will help parents pay for accredited private school tuition and school-related expenses. The law will go into effect on September 1; the program is expected to launch in late 2026.
Attempts to create school choice in Texas has a long, contentious history in state politics.
After previous failed attempts, alleged threats by the governor of holding “blood bath” primaries against Republican House members, and a call from President Donald Trump, Abbott will finally get one of his top priorities across the finish line.
Democrats and rural Republicans who fought against it in the past reportedly argued that the program would harm already-struggling public schools. They claimed those schools are a major employer for working families and a resource center for many Texas students, many of whom reside in low-income households.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R) authored law SB 2, and called such criticism “manufactured.”
“There are 74 school choice programs across the country, nearly 34 states now. One thing that we know for sure from the data is that student outcomes increase, safety increases, college readiness increases,” Creighton said in a interview after the vote in the legislature.
Most participating families will receive an amount equal to 85% of what public schools get for each student through state and local funding — roughly somewhere between $10,300 and $10,900 per year for each child, according to a legislative budget analysis, which included financial projections for the next five years.
In his signing speech, Abbott specifically cited families with children who had mental disabilities who in some state schools were not getting the top care they needed.
Children with disabilities are eligible for the same funding as other students, plus up to $30,000 in additional money, an amount based on what the state would spend on special education services for that student if they attended a public school. Homeschoolers can receive up to $2,000 per year.
The money will flow to families through education savings accounts, which essentially function as state-managed bank accounts.
