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Parental Choice in Education is Coming to TexasSenate Bill 2, officially establishing a statewide Education Savings Account (ESA) program, was signed into law and will start for the 2026-2027 school year.
Here are a few key provisions of the program:- $1 billion will be appropriated. This means approximately 80,000 students statewide could participate in the program in the first year.
- Four categories of prioritization for applicants:
- Special needs students and economically disadvantaged students up to $162,000* for a family of four include both currently enrolled public and private school students. Special needs students are eligible for more funding - up to $30,000 per year.
- Children from families making up to $64,300* for a family of four
- Children from families making between $64,300 to $162,000*
- Everyone else depending on available funds. Students who switched to private schools will go ahead of currently enrolled private school students (in this category only).
- Four categories of prioritization for applicants:
- A typical student would receive about $10,000, a special education student could receive more based on their needs
- Funds could be spent on a variety of educational expenses, including tuition at a private school, tutoring services, therapies, and more…
- $1 billion will be appropriated. This means approximately 80,000 students statewide could participate in the program in the first year.
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Timeline
- May 3, 2025 - Governor Abbott Signs Landmark School Choice Legislation Into Law
- Fall 2025 - Information sessions for families will be available throughout the Diocese of Austin
- January 2026 - Applications for ESA program will open
- August 2026 - ESA students begin attending participating private schools
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What is an Education Savings Account (ESA)?
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What is School Choice?
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Parental Choice, also known as “school choice,” is a public policy that financially assists parents in choosing the best educational environment for their children by allowing their tax dollars to be used outside of the public school system.
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Everyone. Currently, only those able to afford to live in the best public-school districts or to pay private school tuition enjoy a full range of educational options. However, through a well-designed parental choice program, families with fewer financial resources will no longer be limited to their local public school and will be able to consider additional educational opportunities.
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A government-funded savings account used to pay for approved educational expenses for a student outside the public school system. An ESA is like a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) which are used by families to pay for approved medical expenses. The allowable expenses in Texas ESAs are determined by the legislature.
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School Choice v. Parental Choice: “School choice” is the most common term used to describe government funding for non-public school options. The term "parental choice” more accurately reflects the fundamental right and responsibility of parents to direct their children’s education.
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