Texas Enacts Major School Voucher Law Expanding Private Education Access

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a landmark school choice bill, allocating $1 billion to fund education savings accounts (ESAs) that allow families to use public funds for private schooling, homeschooling, or other educational expenses. The program, launching in the 2026-27 school year, makes most of Texas's 6 million K-12 students eligible for approximately $10,000 in annual aid, with higher amounts available for students with disabilities and smaller sums for homeschooling families. Supporters, including Abbott and national conservative groups, celebrate the move as expanding parental choice and reducing government control over education, while critics warn it could drain resources from already underfunded public schools and disproportionately benefit wealthier families. Oversight measures, such as annual audits and standardized testing for participating private schools, have been included to address accountability concerns. The law's passage follows decades of political debate and was driven in part by national Republican initiatives and Abbott’s targeting of anti-voucher lawmakers in recent primaries. With one of the largest school voucher initiatives in the nation, Texas's reform is expected to influence education debates and policies nationwide.