Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday signed legislation authorizing a private school voucher program into law at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. The law will go into effect on Sept. 1, with the program expected to launch in late 2026.
Senate Bill 2 establishes an Education Savings Account program allowing eligible students to direct funding toward their choice of preapproved educational providers and services such as private school tuition, instructional materials, and educational therapies. With $1 billion in funding for the 2026-2027 school year, the program will be the largest day-one launch in the country, according to the Governor’s Office.
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.
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.
“When I ran for re-election in 2022, I promised Texans that we will bring education freedom to every Texas family,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, Texas delivers on that promise. I am signing this law that will ensure Texas families, whose children can no longer be served by the public school assigned to them, have the choice to take their money and find the school that is right for them. This success could not have been accomplished without the hard work of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, Chairman Brandon Creighton, Chairman Brad Buckley, and the tireless efforts of school choice advocates across Texas. Today is a historic day, where we come together at the Governor’s Mansion to proudly deliver school choice for Texans.”
BIG NEWS: Governor @GregAbbott_TX signed school choice legislation into law at the Governor’s Mansion!
Hundreds of Texas parents, students, educators, and school choice advocates from across the state joined to celebrate this historic moment.
More: https://t.co/XD2kSuQFUh pic.twitter.com/QLSJGj25FQ
— Governor Abbott Press Office (@GovAbbottPress) May 3, 2025
The program excludes students whose parents cannot prove their child is a U.S. citizen. Lawmakers are also considering a bill that would bar the kids of any statewide elected official from signing up for the program. Participating students won’t have to take the STAAR test.
If public demand for the voucher program exceeds the funding available, it will prioritize applicants based on students with disabilities and/or whom are low-income.
The voucher program also prioritizes students exiting public schools over kids already in private ones.
Private schools can choose whether they want to participate. The law requires participating schools to be accredited and to have operated for at least two years.
The legislation does not require participating schools to change their admissions processes, meaning they can still deny entry to any student they determine does not meet their standards. Private schools are also not required to follow state or federal laws regarding accommodations for students with disabilities.
Some of the information in this article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/03/texas-school-vouchers-greg-abbott-signs/.
