Texas promised students with disabilities up to $30,000 for private schooling. Few got the full amount

DALLAS - Texas' school voucher-like program promised students with disabilities up to $30,000 to pay for private schooling. Out of 28,700 students with special needs, fewer than 25 received the full amount, records show.

The Texas Education Freedom Accounts, a $1 billion program launching this fall, touted the "$30,000" figure on flyers, on its website, in news releases. But the vast majority were awarded less than $20,000, according to records dated June 23 and provided to The Dallas Morning News.

The average amount awarded to students with special needs was $16,000, according to TEFA. Yet tuition at private schools in the D-FW area can reach far above that - sometimes over $40,000.

Both sides of the school choice debate have long wrestled with how to best serve students with special needs. Politicians pitched TEFA as a way out for families dissatisfied with public schools. However, these distribution numbers, critics say, call into question whether those families will actually be able to get out.

"It just seemed impossible that the math would work," said Steven Aleman, senior policy specialist at Disability Rights Texas. "The $30,000 figure was very arbitrary. ... It may have been very misleading to families who think, 'Well, I'll be getting what seems to be a generous amount.'"

The awarded amount is based on how much their public school district would be allotted for a student with special needs. The state tried its best to communicate that to parents, said Travis Pillow, a spokesperson for TEFA.

On some informational materials, therein lies the disclaimer: "Most students will receive less than the maximum."

"That round number of $30,000 can sometimes stick with people," Pillow said. "But it was an 'up to,' and that is really important."

See the distribution of award amounts

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, which runs TEFA, has awarded funding to nearly 110,000 students as of June. Nearly a quarter of a million students applied. The average amount awarded to first-tier recipients was $16,000, according to the office.

Records show 2,340 recipients were awarded between $10,475 and $14,999. Roughly 10,430 students fell within the $15,000 and $19,999 range. About 220 students were awarded more than $20,000.

Only 20 families received between $25,000 and $30,000.

Nearly 7,360 students in the first tier received the standard amount of $10,474. Applicants could also opt for homeschooling, and about 8,370 accepted the $2,000 award to educate their child at home.

How is the award amount determined?

The TEFA award is calculated based on how much it would have cost the district to accommodate a particular child's needs. To apply, parents attached their child's individualized education plan, or IEP, a legally binding plan that outlines how the school will provide specialized services. For example, a student may receive speech therapy or spend time in a separate classroom.

"We were not using discretion to say this child gets this amount, this child gets that amount," Pillow said. "The Texas Legislature ... wanted to create some measure of funding parity between the students who attend public schools and the students who are participating in a school choice program."

The size of a school district plays a factor. A larger district was associated with a smaller voucher award, the Houston Chronicle reported. To calculate the award amount, TEFA relies on a state formula that considers subsidies for smaller and mid-sized districts.

Take a student who spends more than 60% of their school day in a special education classroom. In Dallas ISD, that student would qualify for $15,700 in TEFA funds. But one in Garner ISD, a rural school district 80 miles west of Dallas, sees $21,000.

"What students receive through the public school funding formula for special education has historically been a bit of a black box," Pillow said. "We are shining a light into the special education formula and creating visibility and awareness for parents."

Is $16,000 enough?

Dee Carney, director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency, has heard from families who discovered their awarded amount wasn't enough to cover the tuition at their ideal private school. After reviewing more than 100 voucher-approved private schools, the organization found private schools don't always publicly post their tuition, and they can raise prices whenever they want, she said.

"That's disappointing. That's confusing to public school families who haven't had to navigate the voucher marketplace," she said.

For example, Green Oaks School, a specialized school for students with special needs in Arlington, set tuition at $23,000 for the 2026-27 school year. But its tuition the prior school year was $15,900. That's a nearly 45% increase.

In a statement, Jean Jewell, the school's executive director, said the increase will expand programming. Historically, tuition has not covered the school's operating expenses, and staff have been underpaid, she said.

"(T)he availability of TEFA to families made it a good time to make this 'right-size' adjustment to our tuition," she said.

On top of tuition increases, private schools can turn away students with disabilities. Given these problems, Aleman said he would rather see funding go toward the public school system, which is legally obligated to serve its 911,000 students with special needs.

"(TEFA) is the luxury that we cannot afford," he said.

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