Texas Governor Greg Abbott pledged to implement a private school voucher-style program on Wednesday during an address to conservative activists in Austin.
The governor said the legislation, which has divided Texas Republicans and previously failed in the state House, would help the state become “No. 1 for educating our kids.”
Newsweek contacted Abbott for comment on Thursday outside regular office hours via email.
Why It Matters
Abbott is a supporter of school choice programs that would give parents greater control over which schools their children attend. Advocates claim this would increase parental choice and that the competition would boost academic performance, while critics claim it will funnel money to less-regulated schools, some of which are run by Abbott’s political allies.
Previous attempts by Abbott to get a voucher program passed have got stuck in the Texas House, though the governor received a major boost this month with Speaker Dustin Burrows vowing to pass “school choice” legislation in response to a post from President Donald Trump.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott takes a question from a reporter outside the West Wing after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on February 5, 2025, in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/GETTY
What To Know
Abbott delivered his address on Wednesday, the first of a three-day policy summit organized by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative-leaning think tank.
According to The Dallas Morning News , he spoke for about a half-hour about his proposed schooling reforms, saying: “The future of our state is going to be hinged in a meaningful way to what we do in this state and educating the next generation of Texans.
“It’s time we set our sights on a new No. 1 standard—Texas must be No. 1 for educating our kids and school choice is a path to achieving that goal.”
He also suggested that his private school funding plan could help combat bullying, saying: “If you’re a working mom, doing your best to put food on the table and pay the bills, maybe working two jobs, knowing that your child at school is being bullied relentlessly. School choice gives that mom the option to choose a better, safer pathway for her child.”
The Texas Senate voted in favor of “school choice” legislation that would use $1 billion from the state’s surplus to establish educational savings accounts. Students could then apply for these and receive up to $10,000 for private school expenses, or $2,000 for homeschool expenses. The Dallas Morning News reported that the median private school fee in Texas is $10,000 per year.
Trump this month posted in support of the legislation on his Truth Social website, saying: “The Texas House must now pass School Choice to deliver a gigantic Victory for Texas students and parents. I will be watching them closely.”
Burrows, a Republican, shared the post on X, formerly Twitter, adding: “We will.”
Historically, conservatives have been divided over school voucher programs, with critics arguing they undermine the parental right to transparency.
Shortly after his second inauguration on January 20, Trump signed an executive order instructing the Department of Education to prioritize school choice initiatives when handing out federal funding.
What People Are Saying
State Representative Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, on X: “No child should be trapped in a school that fails to meet their needs just because they live in TX & the Governor is holding their education dollars hostage to deliver a voucher scam to his billionaire donors. Fully fund our neighborhood schools. No more gimmicks. No more scams.”
State Representative Hugh Shine, a Republican, told KCEN in 2023: “The last thing we need to do is to dismantle a public education system by taking funding away without any real clear accountability in that process.” Shine was subsequently primaried and lost his seat to a pro-vouchers Republican.
What Happens Next
Having been approved by the Texas Senate, the school voucher reforms must also pass the state House before Abbott can sign them into law. Previously they have failed to pass this hurdle, but a number of GOP opponents lost primary challenges and Trump is backing the legislation.
