Texas Expands School Choice with Record Applications
Texas is currently experiencing a major expansion of school choice, marking a historic moment in the U.S. Over 118,000 applications have been submitted as of Friday, demonstrating a significant response from families.
According to Eduardo Real, a spokesperson for Governor Abbott, this rollout is unprecedented in its scale, with the application deadline set for March 17th—about a month away from now.
The Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) is a state-sponsored education savings account initiative, backed by an initial investment of $1 billion. Its introduction has created new competitive options for families, allowing them to consider alternatives beyond their local schools. This poses challenges for school districts that are already struggling to keep students enrolled.
Interestingly, on the very first day of applications, there were over 42,000 submissions, marking it as the largest launch for a school choice program in U.S. history. The American Child Growth Foundation, a nonprofit advocating for school choice, invested nearly $2 million in marketing efforts to inform families about the TEFA.
Tommy Schultz, president of the American Federation for Children, expressed, “Every family wants their children to receive the best education possible.” He criticized a system that limits educational access, describing it as a “moral failure” for the country.
Schultz further noted that demand for school choice policies is exceeding capacity in many states. “With over 100,000 Texas families applying in such a short time, it’s clear that this initiative is among the most popular public policy efforts aiming to address our flawed K-12 education system,” he explained.
Governor Abbott signed the Texas Education Freedom Act into law in May 2025, although the path to its approval was fraught with challenges, particularly in gaining consensus among Republicans regarding its implementation. Rural Republicans have historically resisted school choice policies, concerned about the potential negative impact on public school funding.
In a bid to strengthen support for school choice, Abbott has indicated plans to contest party primaries against candidates who do not support these policies. Together with the American Children Victory Fund, he has been working to rally financial backing for these candidates.
Meanwhile, many urban school districts continue to face enrollment issues, exacerbated by the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, Houston Independent School District (HISD) has struggled with declining student numbers, prompting its superintendent to announce plans for potential school closures due to these challenges.
In a recent press release, HISD stated that it is taking necessary steps to maintain educational quality amid changing demographics. It mentioned recommending the closure of 12 schools to respond to these ongoing trends.
