Private school vouchers are now law in Texas. Here’s how they will work.
Texas will give participating families about $10,000 to pay for their kids’ private schooling. Other details about the program, set to launch in 2026, are unclear. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/67b3c6f1f5d95fbac26192c52f7c2934/0503%20Abbott%20Voucher%20Signing%20BD%20TT%201291.jpg)
-
![Governor Greg Abbott signs SB2 authorizing educational savings accounts (ESA's) helping parents pay private school tuition for their children during a ceremony at the Texas Governor's Mansion on May 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas teachers, parents lose protection over “obscene” material
A fiery debate on the House floor Friday gave way to the Senate Bill 412’s final vote. Supporters say it’s needed to protect children. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/86597770fa3110cb0b7132d2100c0f9b/Library%20File%20JV%20TT%2002.jpg)
![The library at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos on Nov. 4, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
How Greg Abbott took a flailing school voucher movement and turned it into a winning issue
Abbott tapped into a powerful national conservative movement and his own campaign war chest to turn legislative races into multimillion-dollar affairs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d47d48bc442bbf00540d8537dd4729b1/0206%20Abbott%20Vouchers%20RGV%20GC%20TT%2034.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott takes a photo with students and staff after speaking about school vouchers at Parent Empowerment Night at Harvest Christian Academy in Edinburg on Feb. 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Gabriel V. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Plans advance for $10 billion Exxon plastics plant on the Texas coast
Officials at a rural school district voted on Tuesday to begin developing a tax break agreement intended to draw Exxon to their stretch of the Gulf Coast north of Corpus Christi. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b47ad7dc329b217231efe9c5eb938801/27_Formosa_Plastic_Pollution_EW.jpg)
![The Formosa Plastics plant in Point Comfort, in Calhoun Co., on March 20, 2019. Exxon Mobil wants to build a massive plastics plant nearby.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
A 20-hour wait to speak: A pre-dawn House panel takes up Ten Commandments bill
Dozens of people who signed up to speak were ready at 4 a.m. to debate whether public school classrooms should have to display the Ten Commandments. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/75b1920d1f2ee5b2e052563b40f6691c/0317%20Religion%20Capital%20LW%2019.jpg)
![The Ten Commandments, written out on a monument, sit outside the Texas Capitol on March 17, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House approves antisemitism bill in response to pro-Palestinian protests
The bill, which would require schools to use a definition of antisemitism when considering discipline for students, will soon head over to Abbott’s desk. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2af7d6febd353ab62caf552991ab2fc6/0424%20UT%20Austin%20Protest%20EH%20TT%2012.jpg)
![Protestors chant at Texas Department of Public Safety troopers as they begin to push students towards Guadalupe Street from the South Lawn during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in the Gaza conflict on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the University of Texas in Austin.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
A now-discarded plan to split Keller ISD caused a stir. Lawmakers now want clear rules on how to divide districts.
A House bill would require school districts to hold an election before breaking into smaller entities. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/944875344f7fe8f896577ef211989a4d/0318%20House%20Public%20Ed%20KG%20TT%2008.jpg)
![The Texas House of Representatives Public Education Committee hears public testimony on House Bill 1481 relating to the use of personal wireless communication devices during school hours and activities in Austin on March 18, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Texas students say K-12 DEI ban and other anti-LGBTQ+ bills threaten their safety, voice and mental health
Students are concerned the legislation could silence supportive teachers, dismantle safe spaces, lead to overenforcement and prevent honest conversations about identity. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bbb048356aa744888a4f304356aa67c0/Marshall%20Romero%20LGBTQ%20DEI%20JB%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Marshall Romero, 16, poses for a portrait outside of Alief Early College High School in Houston on Friday, April 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune -
Have questions about Texas’ proposed school voucher program? We have answers.
Get quick answers from our archive of school voucher reporting with our experimental AI assistant. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d07bedff76232abc707b139db192bb4b/0417%20Teacher%20Incentive%20Allotment%20IPL%20TT%2048.jpg)
![Children walk down a hall at Kennedy-Powell Elementary in Temple on April 17, 2025.]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune -
Join us May 6 for a conversation on how Texas can attract, prepare and retain the best teachers
Our two-part conversation will focus on the critical challenges and opportunities surrounding teacher recruitment, training and retention in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0292c2cd4efc7015fc5b445200eb4b1f/05-06-Teachers-Lead-Logo-02-v1.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Private school vouchers head to Abbott’s desk to become law
The program will officially launch at the start of the 2026-27 school year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2e49892d718232acbc8fe0dc407fcb5a/Abbott%20DOGE%20KCG%20TT%2014.jpg)
![From left: State Rep. Dustin Burrows, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at the Capitol in Austin on April 23, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Texas school districts got their first A-F grades in five years. See how your school did here.
The Texas Education Agency released the 2022-23 school year ratings on Thursday after a 19-month legal battle over how those ratings are calculated. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4910bcc9c91e6f9cf9d1a4a5ea42705b/0807%20Early%20Education%20TT%2048.jpg)
![The Texas flags hangs at a classroom, on Aug. 7, 2024.]()
Credit: Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribune -
1 in 5 Texas schools got a D or F rating under new performance standards
Failing grades for districts were made public for the first time since 2019. They showed schools with the poorest students were more likely to get a low score. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7aba3d0df016b4996f72460ab299fc78/0913%20Odessa%20School%20Tours%20EH%2013.jpg)
![A Nimitz Middle School student raises their hand during class Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
School districts stay quiet as lawmakers push to limit when they can sue the state
School leaders have privately criticized a bill that would make it harder to contest their performance ratings in court. But they did not testify against it to avoid lawmakers’ ire. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1070e3d6e41eee069ad7bb894a3debf3/Ott%20Elementary%20COVID%20AG%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Tables are spaced out in a classroom at Ott Elementary School on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 in San Antonio. The tables, which typically seat six to eight students, were arranged to seat four students and 16 total students in the classroom.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
“It’s what’s best for a very select few”: Some Texans are skeptical about vouchers as they near the finish line
Texas Republican lawmakers in regions known for support of public schools defended voting for vouchers, saying they gained leverage to seek concessions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7bde5578ec25b5e30f16954de83ada2e/0416%20Voucher%20Day%20BD%20TT%2007.jpg)
![Public school advocates rally with Democrat House members in the Capitol Rotunda prior to the morning session on April 16, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick endorses Texas House’s voucher plan, clearing path to final approval
The lieutenant governor proposes that the Texas Senate adopt the House bill, which would eliminate a negotiation over the two versions and cement the victory for supporters. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7c7c6846f79b10069f4daf603c8872cb/0325%20Abbott%20Voucher%20Presser%20TT%20LW%2001.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during a press conference regarding school vouchers on March 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
In private school voucher push, Gov. Abbott breaks through by playing hardball
Anti-voucher Republicans said they voted for the bill so they could fight to improve it, and also to fend off political retribution. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/af2bd3561ef2b663ed0df0c83777893a/0217%20Abbott%20Voucher%20Night%20SB%20TT%2010.JPG)
![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at ‘Parent Empowerment Night’ at San Antonio Christian School, in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2025.]()
Credit: Scott Stephen Ball for The Texas Tribune -
See how Texas House members voted on school vouchers
The House approved historic legislation that would implement school vouchers in Texas. Here’s how each representative voted. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5683e343dd0f296f2b61b0236a2d73df/0416%20Voucher%20Day%20KCG%20TT%2015.jpg)
![Texas House of Representatives Members vote on an amendment for Senate Bill 2 in the House Chamber in Austin on April 16, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
In historic first, Texas House approves private school voucher program
The bill would let families use taxpayer dollars for their children’s private schooling. Lawmakers also signed off on a sweeping $7.7 billion package to boost public school funding. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2ee5b16d3e50936620358101d3c7ef9d/0416%20Voucher%20Day%20KCG%20TT%2001.jpg)
![State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, answers questions regarding an amendment for Senate Bill 2 in the House Chamber in Austin on April 16, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Texas bill increasing public school funding and teacher pay gets final House approval
The lower chamber overwhelmingly voted in favor of House Bill 2, a sweeping $8 billion piece of legislation that would also limit schools’ reliance on teachers without formal classroom training. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3e368911cbeea9f14d9775b81ca73a74/0416%20Voucher%20Day%20BD%20TT%2041.jpg)
![State Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, shakes hands with Rep. Brad Buckley R-Salado, House Education chair, after the vote on school finance on April 16, 2025. The bill passed, 144-4.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune