Texas school choice participation tops 85k students with 121k on waiting list

Participation in Texas’ new school choice program has topped 85,000 students, but another 121,000 remain on the waiting list, a new report says, with many unlikely to receive funding this year.

The state rolled out its new $1 billion Texas Education Freedom Accounts program this spring. Nearly 274,000 students applied for what is expected to be about 100,000 scholarships.

Of the 248,000 applicants who were approved, 122,000 scholarships were awarded, and 85,344 have been funded, meaning families accepted the funds and designated them to an approved private school.

Don Huffines, the state’s acting comptroller, said the number of students funded could still increase because not all approved families had confirmed their participation as of July 29, when the report was compiled.

The demographic report also showed that 80% of participating students are from households earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level, or about $66,000 for a family of four, and nearly one-quarter of participants have a qualified disability. Participation is strongest in pre-K through sixth grade. Houston, Dallas and Northside ISD in San Antonio had the most participating students, although students from nearly 900 districts joined the program.

The American Federation for Children, which bills itself as the nation’s largest school choice advocacy organization, praised the report but noted the need to fund the 121,000 students still waiting for scholarships.

The organization said it is working with Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who indicated last month that “addressing projected TEFA participation (is) a top priority for the 2028-29 biennial budget.”

“The first official annual TEFA report confirms exactly what we heard from Texas families every step of the way: parents want more options, and they are eagerly embracing the opportunities that TEFA delivers,” AFC President Tommy Schultz said in a release. “This program was designed from the beginning to serve the most vulnerable students, and that is exactly what is happening.”

The scholarships are about $10,400 each, or 85% of what the state spends per public school student, although students with disabilities are eligible for up to $30,000. Homeschool students can receive $2,000.

The state has also indicated it will participate in the new federal school choice program, which starts in January and will expand school choice access, including to public school students, who can use the funds for tutoring and other educational expenses.

(Image credit: Bethany Blankley / The Center Square)