Texas has finalized the rules for its private school voucher program, as announced by the state’s chief financial officer. The guidelines clarify funding for pre-kindergarten students and set application dates. Existing participants in the state initiative for students with disabilities can apply starting Dec. 9, while new applicants will have the opportunity to apply shortly thereafter, according to CW39.
Applications for families are scheduled to open on Feb. 4 and remain open until mid-March, as part of the agreement between the Texas financial chief and Odyssey, the firm selected to administer the program. Following a public hearing and 200 written testimonies, the state decided not to implement additional reporting requirements. Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock established rules under which most families are expected to receive approximately $10,300 per student annually, Click2Houston reports.
The comptroller's office confirmed that pre-K students who meet the state's free public pre-K requirements are eligible for the full $10,300, instead of the $2,000 originally outlined for homeschoolers. For the voucher program, a Social Security determination letter or a physician's note can be used to verify a child’s disability, rather than the educational evaluations typically required in public schools.
The comptroller's office stated that if applications exceed available funding, priority will be given to students with disabilities from lower-income backgrounds. Admission to participating schools is not guaranteed, as each school may select students based on its own criteria. The finalized rules do not include certain reporting requirements, such as tracking graduation rates or postsecondary outcomes for voucher students.
State law requires the collection and publication of certain data for the voucher program, including the number of applications and participant satisfaction. The comptroller's office will adhere strictly to these legal requirements and will not include additional reporting. With these rules finalized, the framework for Texas’ school voucher program is set ahead of the 2026-27 school year, its first year of implementation.
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