(Texas Scorecard) – The House Public Education Committee voted 9-6 to advance school choice legislation on Thursday.
The proposal is a key priority for Gov. Greg Abbott, who made school choice a central issue in last year’s Republican primaries, backing challengers against incumbent lawmakers who opposed similar efforts.
Senate Bill 2 would create education savings accounts to the tune of $10,000 annually per pupil. The ESAs can fund accredited private school tuition, textbooks, transportation, and other expenses. Families of students with disabilities would receive $11,500 annually per pupil, and families with homeschooled students would receive $2,000 annually per pupil.
Preliminary budget proposals allocate $1 billion toward school choice for the 2026-2027 school year. With the current amount funded, up to 100,000 children of Texas’ more than five million enrolled students would qualify for the program for the 2026-2027 school year.
“Texas is within reach of the largest school choice program launch in the nation,” said Abbott after the House committee vote. “I look forward to its swift passage in the Texas House and signing this bill into law.”
The measure now moves to the House Calendars Committee, which will determine when it is brought up for a vote on the floor.