Texas School Voucher Program Sees Disparities in Initial Applications

Preliminary data released by the Texas comptroller’s office indicates that the majority of applicants for the state’s new school voucher program are white and have prior experience with private education or homeschooling. The program, which utilizes taxpayer funds for private school or homeschooling expenses, shows a demographic profile significantly different from Texas’s public school system.

Demographic Breakdown of Applicants

As of late March, 45% of the 256,700 applicants identified as white, 23% as Hispanic, and 11% as Black. Notably, 36% of applicant families are considered low-income, defined as a family of four earning $66,000 or less per year. This contrasts sharply with the state’s public school population, where 54% of students are Hispanic and 60% are considered low-income (defined as a family of four earning $61,050 or less annually).

Prior Educational Experience

A significant 73% of applicants had previously attended a private school or were homeschooled during the 2024-25 academic year. The comptroller’s office did not release data regarding current student enrollment. This suggests the program is attracting families already outside of the public school system.

Advocacy Group Response

Carrie Griffith, executive director of Our Schools Our Democracy, a public education advocacy group, stated, “It’s not surprising that a state as big as Texas has more voucher applicants than other smaller states, especially with such a large marketing budget.” Griffith further added, “It’s also not surprising that so few public school families have applied for a private school voucher.”

Griffith emphasized the benefits of public schools, stating they “deliver special education services, provide transportation, support extracurriculars, keep kids safe, and prepare them for life.” She asserted that most Texans support strong, fully funded public schools.

Funding and Lottery System

The program offers varying levels of funding: approximately $10,500 annually for families with children in private schools, up to $2,000 per year for homeschoolers, and up to $30,000 for children with disabilities. Demand for the program exceeds the available $1 billion in funding, necessitating a lottery system to determine recipients.

Priority Groups

The state will prioritize applicants in the following order:

  • Students with disabilities and their siblings in families with an annual income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level (roughly $165,000 for a four-person household).
  • Families at or below 200% of the poverty level (roughly $66,000 for a four-person household).
  • Families at or above 500% of the poverty level, with up to $200 million of the budget allocated to this group.

Within the highest income bracket, children who attended public school for at least 90% of the prior school year will receive priority.

Challenges and Next Steps

Families must still secure enrollment in a private school, which are not always required to accommodate students with disabilities, who comprise 14% of applicants. Travis Pillow, a spokesperson for the comptroller, indicated that the program’s participant demographics may differ from the applicant pool. Parents must enroll their children in a school by July 15, and will begin receiving notifications regarding funding decisions later this month.