Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs private school, home school vouchers into law
A crowd outside the governors mansion in Austin cheered on May 3 as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed school vouchers into law.
“Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned by government,” Abbott said, flanked by state lawmakers and supporters of “school choice.” “The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that is best for their child.”
Above him, children stood on the balcony of the governors’ mansion, overlooking a crowd sprawled across the lawn.
The policy has been a priority of Abbott’s for years but didn’t make it to his desk during the 2023 legislative session, facing opposition from Democrats and some Republicans in the House.
Supporters say the legislation, Senate Bill 2, gives parents more of a say in their child’s education, while opponents argue the money is better spent aiding public schools.
Under the $1 billion education savings account program, students would receive roughly $10,000 for their private school education — 85% of the average state and local funding per student. Students with disabilities are eligible for up to $30,000 and home schooled students could get up to $2,000.
Any student eligible for Texas public school, including prekindergarten, can apply for the program, as long as they are a U.S. citizen or national or were lawfully admitted into the United States.
The funds are prioritized by household income and for students with disabilities and can be used for expenses like private school tuition, tutoring, school supplies, uniforms, transportation and prekindergarten.
Abbott told the crowd he has met with thousands of families across the state who have “longed for education freedom.” Abbott said he promised “school choice” when running for reelection in 2022 and had now delivered on that promise.
The program had historically faced opposition from some House Republicans, particularly those in rural parts of the state. Despite multiple attempts in 2023, there weren’t the votes to pass an education savings account program out of the House.
Abbott targeted anti-voucher Republicans in the March primaries, and ultimately the bill passed through the chamber on April 17, with the vote falling largely along party lines.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican, thanked members of the House who, he said “did not give up” in their push for education savings accounts.
“Who despite all of the noise, all of the attacks, they knew school choice was the moral thing to do,” Burrows said. “They knew it was the right thing to give children opportunities to go to the place that fits them the best. They knew it was the principled thing to do. That competition makes all things better.”
The Senate put the bill on the fast track to Abbott’s desk when lawmakers opted to accept the House’s changes to the bill, rather than sending it to a committee made up of members of both chambers to hash out the difference between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
“It took a long time to get to the river, but we have crossed the river today because of all of you, in persistence of not giving up on the American Dream for your child and other children,” said Patrick, a Republican who serves as the president of the Texas Senate.
The mood was celebratory at the governor’s mansion on Saturday.
Pep-rally style school band music played in the background as guests — including many who wore shirts representing their private Christian schools — waited for the bill’s signing and remarks from state leaders. A Texas flag and red white and blue decorations hung from the columned governor’s mansion that served as the backdrop for the event.
Joel Enge, the director and founder of the Kingdom Life Academy in Tyler, told the crowd that, while working as a public educator in Tyler, he watched some low income minority students struggle at school and drop out.
“It broke my heart, and I started seeing the need for educational options because the traditional program did not fit these types of students,” he said, thanking parents and organizations Americans for Prosperity and American Federation for Children, which support school choice.
Numerous state lawmakers and leaders, including Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn were in attendance as the new policy was signed —legislation that has the support from President Donald Trump.
“I’m going to send him a picture of Gov. Abbott signing this school choice legislation, and I’ll know he’ll be very happy because this is entirely consistent with his vision of parents making decisions for their children, as opposed to teachers and teachers unions in particular, and restricting the choices people have,” Cornyn said of Trump.
Down the street earlier in the day voucher opponents struck a darker tone at a news conference outside the Texas AFL-CIO building.
Democratic lawmakers and labor and public education advocates warned about the negative effects vouchers could have on public schools.
“Today is not a celebration,” said Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons, a Houston Democrat. “This initiative is not about expanding educational opportunities. It’s about diverting public resources to private institutions, undermining our public education system.”
Opponents have said the education savings account program will disproportionately benefit wealthy families and note that private schools can deny students admission, unlike public schools.
“Our schools don’t need competition to help students,” said Rachel Preston, an Austin school district teacher and member of Education Austin, a labor union. “They need money. They need support, and they need respect.”
Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat, and Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat, said they expect the law, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, to be challenged in court. There could be lawsuits about the law’s overall constitutionality and its exclusion of students who are living in the country illegally, Hinojosa said.
Attorney General Ken Paxton in a statement promised to “vigorously defend this law.”
Even in defeat, Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, said he sees “glimmers of hope” as parents, teachers, Democrats, Republicans and Texans from rural, urban and suburban parts of the state come together to fight for students.
“I see the seeds of a new movement that’s not left versus right, but top versus bottom,” Talarico said. “A movement that speaks truth to power, a movement that stands up to big money and big lies.”
This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 3:58 PM.
