Texas Senate Approves $1 Billion School Voucher Program

Texas lawmakers have passed a landmark $1 billion school voucher bill, which is now awaiting Governor Greg Abbott's expected signature. The legislation will create education savings accounts of over $10,000 per student, allowing families to use public funds for private school tuition, homeschooling, tutoring, transportation, and special needs therapies. While supporters, including Governor Abbott and former President Trump, argue the program expands educational freedom and introduces competition to improve public schools, critics warn it could divert crucial funding from public schools and disproportionately benefit a small subset of students. The bill follows years of failed attempts due to concerns from rural Republicans and Democrats about the impact on public education. All six million Texas K-12 students will be eligible to apply, though students with disabilities and those from low- or middle-income families will receive priority if demand exceeds available funding. The measure has sparked significant debate, with advocates hailing it as a historic victory for school choice and opponents lamenting the end of a long-standing commitment to public education.