Texas Education Policy

Texas’ new Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, created by the Texas Education Freedom Act signed in May 2025, received more than 241,000 student applications before this week’s first‑year deadline, far exceeding its initial capacity to serve roughly 90,000–100,000 students. The state has funded the education savings account program at $1 billion for year one, with the Comptroller’s Office and Gov. Greg Abbott’s office confirming that more than 42,000 applications arrived on the first day alone, which Abbott aides say made it the largest day‑one school choice launch in the nation. TEFA lets families use public funds outside their zoned neighborhood schools, intensifying competitive pressure on districts already losing students since the pandemic, such as Houston ISD, which has moved to close 12 schools amid enrollment declines. School‑choice advocacy group American Federation for Children, which says it spent nearly $2 million marketing the program, is touting the oversubscription as evidence the legislature should expand funding, while opponents warn it will further destabilize traditional public schools. The surge gives Texas one of the country’s most sought‑after ESA programs and will likely feed national debates over vouchers, public‑school financing, and the role of outside advocacy money in driving enrollment.