school vouchers

A day after U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ordered an extension of the application deadline for families, and required the plaintiff schools be given the chance to apply, the schools' applications were accepted by the Texas comptroller’s office.

The application period, set to close Tuesday night, must now remain open until March 31, according to an attorney representing Islamic schools.

Texas families have until midnight Tuesday to apply for newly created Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which use public funds to pay for private schooling.

In order to qualify for up to $20,000 in additional funding for students with disabilities, Texas families seeking vouchers must obtain personalized evaluations from public school districts, which in many cases could be helping those families leave for private schools.

Applications will close March 17, with funding notifications sent to families beginning in early April. The rollout follows a years-long battle at the Capitol and marks a major victory for the governor after repeated failed attempts to pass similar legislation.

Applications for Texas Education Freedom Accounts can be submitted starting Feb. 4. The initiative reshapes how families can use public education dollars and sparks debate over equity, oversight and cost.

Private schools looking to educate participating students may also have a chance to apply to the program before the end of the year.

Finance and technology company Odyssey will help design the application process, manage payments and review complaints for the state’s education savings accounts.

State policy makers passed two major education-related bills this legislative session, one establishing a school voucher-like program and another allocating more than $8 billion for public school funding.

During his full-throttle push to pass private school vouchers this legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott repeatedly claimed that funding for public schools 'is at an all-time high.' A TPR fact-check found that to be misleading, based on an analysis of state data and expert interviews.

The controversial legislation creates Education Savings Accounts, which will allow Texas parents to use public funds toward private education costs.

The controversial legislation creates Education Savings Accounts, which will allow Texas parents to use public funds toward private education costs.