Texas Public Schools Are Closing. Stop Expanding the Voucher Program.

public schools. That’s 5.5 million kids. Governor Abbott’s new voucher program started accepting applications on February 4, 2026, with $1 billion in public money flowing to private schools starting this fall. His own administration admits 87% of applicants will be students already enrolled in private school. That $1 billion cap expires in September 2027. The next session could require $6 billion or more to cover the waiting list, according to the state’s own fiscal analysis. House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said it plainly during the legislative debate: “This program’s going to be a billion dollars the first time, but it’s going to be $8 billion the next.” Abbott held $7.6 billion in public school funding hostage in the previous session to force this bill through. University of Texas education professor David DeMatthews was direct about who actually benefits: “Most, if not all of those seats will be taken by those families with the means.” The damage is already showing. Houston ISD proposed closing 12 schools this month as enrollment has dropped by over 13,000 students since 2022. Public school funding follows the student out the door, but buildings, buses, and teacher contracts stay. Meanwhile, a ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation found more than 60 instances of nepotism and conflicts of interest among 27 private schools now enrolled in the program. Schools that would have broken state law if they were public. There is no equivalent oversight requirement for private schools taking this money. Please introduce legislation capping the program’s growth beyond $1 billion without a full legislative vote, requiring independent audits of every participating private school, and immediately redirecting any unspent voucher funds back to the public school districts that serve the 94% of Texas children this program leaves behind.