AUSTIN, texas(KXXV) — More than 42,000 Texas families will receive new school choice funding through the state’s Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday.
The program, administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts under Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, is designed to give parents more flexibility in choosing their children’s education. Families can use the funds for expenses such as private school tuition, instructional materials, and educational therapies.
“School choice funds being distributed to Texas families paves the way for Texas to become the No. 1 state for education,” Abbott said in a statement. “These accounts will give parents the freedom to choose the best learning environment for their children, regardless of their income or location.”
The TEFA program prioritizes students with disabilities and those from low-income households. The first notifications will go out this week to students in the top-priority tier — those with qualifying disabilities in families earning at or below 500% of the federal poverty level — along with their siblings.
Additional students will receive awards in the coming weeks, state officials said.
Abbott credited Hancock with helping to “kick-start” the program, calling it a step toward improving education outcomes statewide.
