Texas On The Verge Of School Choice Plan With Support From Trump

School choice is almost a reality in Texas after the state House of Representatives voted Thursday morning to approve the $1 billion voucher program.

In a process that dragged on overnight and into the early morning hours, the state House voted 85-63 to move the school choice bill along, with only two Republicans voting no, all but securing its passage. While the legislation still has to clear some legislative hurdles before it is sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are already celebrating the school choice victory.

“Congratulations to my friends, Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, along with Texas Legislators, for finally passing SCHOOL CHOICE, which I strongly endorsed – this is a gigantic Victory for students and parents in the Great State of Texas!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We will very soon be sending Education BACK TO ALL THE STATES, where it belongs. It is our goal to bring Education in the United States to the highest level, one that it has never attained before. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The school choice package, referred to as the Education Savings Account (ESA) program, would set aside $10,000 per year for most Texas students who attend an accredited private school, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Students with disabilities attending an accredited private school would receive $11,500 per year, while homeschooling families would receive $2,000 per year for each child to use on qualifying educational expenses. Texas lawmakers included a requirement in the package that recipients of the ESA program be American citizens or people lawfully residing in the United States.

Gov. Abbott has vowed to sign the bill when it comes to his desk.

“For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a universal school choice bill. This is an extraordinary victory!” Abbott posted on X Thursday morning.

“From rural communities to big cities, school choice will open doors in every region of our state,” Abbott wrote in another post. “Every child in Texas deserves the education path that works best for them.”

The massive voucher program would be capped at $1 billion in its first year, but after that, it could grow up to $4.5 billion per year by 2030, according to The New York Times. The money for the ESA program will come from a different pot than the money used by the state to fund public schools, according to Abbott. The state House also voted on Wednesday to boost public school funding to $8 billion.

Lt. Gov. Patrick estimates that around 90,000 Texas students will participate in the ESA program. However, if demand for the vouchers exceeds the state’s funding for the program, children from low-income families and those with disabilities will be prioritized, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The Texas school choice bill was mostly supported by conservatives and opposed by Democrats and teachers unions, who fear that the program will harm public education and divert money away from public schools, which will still be responsible for educating most of Texas’s students. Opponents of the bill also argue that the ESA program will mostly benefit parents who already send their children to private schools.

School choice advocates are celebrating major wins across the country, including in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Most recently, Tennessee passed a school choice program after a years-long fight.