FACING FACTS: CHARTER SCHOOLS IN TEXAS: AFTER THIRTY YEARS IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE

Protect Public Education, Preserve Democracy

Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD) was established to protect the fundamental rights of all Texans to a free, public education through research, education, outreach, and advocacy.

Our Texas public schools are the cornerstone of our democracy and the heart of our neighborhoods. The well-coordinated and aggressive push towards school privatization threatens the future of public school districts in every corner of the state. It’s time for Texas parents and the public to have more power over the decisions that impact the education of our children and cost billions of our taxpayer dollars.

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Learn more about vouchers

The cost of vouchers to taxpayers could potentially balloon to $7.9 billion dollars for 2030 and 2031, based on data from the Legislative Budget Board.
49% of charter school teachers are uncertified, compared to 7% in public school districts.
Nearly half of charter schools spend nothing on transportation for their students.

School Locator Map

The OSOD School Locator Map lets Texans see the three parallel systems of schools that taxpayer dollars are funding. The map includes public school district campuses, charter schools, and the private schools that have been accepted into the Texas voucher program.

Open the interactive map to start your search. Note, private schools can apply on a rolling basis, so participating voucher schools will change regularly.

Featured News and Research

The Texas flag is in focus in the foreground to the left of the image. Out of focus in the background is a classroom with students sitting at desk pods.

Voucher program could cost Texas schools close to $300 million in funding, new report shows

This article by Bianca Seward was published in the Houston Public Media on October 1, 2026.

Texas public schools could lose $227M from voucher exodus, estimate shows

This article by Lawrence Mower and Phoebe Quinton was published in the Houston Chronicle on October 1, 2026.

Rows of empty school chair desks in a classroom with beige walls and dark floors

Houston region school districts may lose $68M this year because of vouchers

This article by Elizabeth Sander was published in the Houston Chronicle on October 1, 2026.

A photo of a girl with long hair and an orange backpack walking into a school building.

Special needs kids get more funding with Texas’ education savings accounts, but families can’t always find a school

This article by Xochilt Garcia was published in the San Antonio Report on September 28, 2026.

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Charters, Reports, Resources

Marketization of Education in Texas as a Trojan Horse

22 Jun at 3:24 pm

This report by J. Toufic Chahin was published by the Intercultural Development Research Association in June 2026.

Reports, Resources

Charter Schools: Impact on Region One

12 Jun at 6:44 pm

Our Schools Our Democracy

Almost every public school district in Region One has lost students to charter schools, resulting in a regionwide estimated revenue loss of $547,964,537 in the 2024-2025 school year alone. A public school district can’t simply cut costs dollar-for-dollar to the loss in revenue when a student transfers to a charter school because of fixed costs such as insurance, maintenance, and transportation. Instead, public school districts must cut expenses – often non-mandated programs and services. As a result, unlimited charter school expansion results in lost opportunities for students who choose to attend their public school district.…

Reports, Resources

Dropout Rate for Texas Charter Schools Triples the State Rate

12 Jun at 6:39 pm

This report by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz was published by the Intercultural Development Research Association in May 2026.

Texas public schools will lose at least $227 million this school year alone to Texas’ new voucher program

1 Oct at 3:49 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2026 CONTACT: mstern@osod.org or communications@everytexan.org Texas public schools will lose at least $227 million this school year alone to Texas’ new voucher program Our Schools Our Democracy and Every Texan share the first estimate of public school funding lost to private school vouchers AUSTIN, Texas – Today, the Houston Chronicle published an estimate of funding lost to Texas public school districts this year due to Texas’ new voucher program, calculated using public information requests and data analysis from OSOD’s Texas Center for Voucher Transparency and Every Texan. Responsive records from…

Legislative Appropriations Request for vouchers expands taxpayer funding without accountability or transparency for program performance

9 Sep at 2:52 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2026 CONTACT: mstern@osod.org Legislative Appropriations Request for vouchers expands taxpayer funding without accountability or transparency for program performance The Comptroller is requesting at least $2.3 billion in taxpayer dollars to fund the next two years of the voucher program AUSTIN, Texas – Today, the Legislative Budget Board held a hearing on the Comptroller’s Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) for the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) voucher program. The Comptroller is seeking to increase funding for vouchers from the current $1 billion to potentially $4.4 billion of taxpayer dollars. OSOD and TXCVT…

Review of Voucher-Accepting Private Schools Highlights Barriers for Texas Families

8 Sep at 5:13 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 8, 2026 CONTACT: mstern@osod.org Review of Voucher-Accepting Private Schools Highlights Barriers for Texas Families Private schools in 15 lawmakers’ districts present compounding barriers for families seeking to enroll AUSTIN, Texas – A review of 221 voucher-accepting private schools by the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency finds that access to private education is often shaped by a complex, multi-step application process with barriers including a narrow set of options for older students, selective admission requirements such as religious affiliation, lack of special education services, total cost of attendance, and lack of publicly-available…

October Insider

2 Oct at 4:36 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletter Action Alert Next week, the Senate Education Committee is holding interim hearings to discuss student enrollment, teacher pay…and expanding private school vouchers. Use our No Blank Check toolkit to testify, email, call, and share the facts about Texas’ voucher program. Fast Fact Texas public schools will lose at least $227 million this school year alone to Texas’ new voucher program. The Houston Chronicle reported on our joint statewide WADA-based funding impact with Every Texan. The story includes an interactive map where you can see the number of…

Choice on Paper, Not in Practice webinar

1 Oct at 4:42 pm

On September 30, 2026, OSOD held a public webinar to evaluate the early data on Texas’ $1 billion voucher program. The full webinar recording is below. Use our toolkit to share facts about private school vouchers and to contact your lawmakers to oppose additional funding to the TEFA voucher program.

OSOD testifies against request to expand taxpayer funding on vouchers

14 Sep at 8:53 pm

OSOD Executive Director Carrie Griffith and Director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency Dee Carney testified on September 9. 2026 during an interim Legislative Budget Board hearing. The hearing considered the Comptroller’s Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) for the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) voucher program. The Comptroller is seeking to increase funding for vouchers from the current $1 billion to potentially $4.4 billion of taxpayer dollars. A Legislative Budget Board hearing is a funding request—not a vote or an appropriation that has already been approved. During the next legislative session, lawmakers will have an important opportunity to evaluate…

September Insider

1 Sep at 4:34 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletter Action Alert New Public Information Request data obtained by OSOD’s Texas Center for Voucher Transparency shows that 80% of the eligible students on the voucher waitlist as of August 10 were not previously enrolled in public school. A Comptroller fact sheet earlier in the month revealed that 70% of voucher awardees in grades 1-12 had been previously enrolled in a private or homeschool. Share our confidential Voucher Watchdog portal to help Texans report their experiences with the program. Fast Fact After the Governor directed Comptroller Huffines to review…

OSOD delivers invited testimony to the House Committee on Governmental Oversight, Select on the Texas Public Information Act

27 Aug at 9:36 pm

Invited Testimony to the House Committee on Governmental Oversight, Select Item 2: Texas Public Information Act Study the applicability of the Texas Public Information Act, the entities currently subject to the Act, its effectiveness, and the necessity of exemptions from public disclosure. Additionally, review requirements related to public notices and make recommendations to improve citizen awareness and transparency. Chairman Vasut, Vice Chair Walle and Members of the Committee: Thank you so much for the invitation to testify today on the Texas Public Information Act on behalf of the experiences of Our Schools Our…

OSOD in Action, Testimony

OSOD submits testimony to Delivery of Government Efficiency on “Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse”

20 Aug at 8:45 pm

August 19, 2026 Testimony submitted to Delivery of Government Efficiency on “Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse” Chairman and Members of the Committee: Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD) is a Texas-based, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused solely on transparency and accountability as Texas privatizes public education through charter expansion, state takeovers, and TEFA vouchers. Protect Public Education. Preserve Democracy. Texas funds multiple education systems with different rules, funding, and oversight. As billions of taxpayer dollars flow through these systems, Texas must ask: Does the state have sufficient information and controls to identify risks and ensure taxpayer…

OSOD Testimony on Proposed Charter Rule Amendments

4 Aug at 7:51 pm

Testimony by Carrie Griffith Delivered August 3, 2026 Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the July 3 Texas Register proposed rule amendments on 19 TAC Chapter 100, Charter Schools. We are submitting comments that address each of the proposed changes, some of which we support and others we either oppose or for which we have recommended edits. Today I want, however, to specifically address Sec. 100.1095(c)(1)(B)(ii)(I)(-b-). This section as proposed would prioritize new charter schools with no track record to receive transfer of real property from closed charter schools. Our Schools Our…

August Insider

3 Aug at 8:22 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletterTexas students, teachers, and families are getting ready to head back to school this month. For families still shopping for school supplies, don’t forget about Texas’ annual tax-free weekend from August 7-9. Along with the usual back-to-school jitters, Texas families this year are facing unprecedented questions about the future of public education. Our Schools Our Democracy is meeting the moment with cutting-edge research, educational advocacy, and grassroots organizing with Texans working to support our neighborhood schools. Action Alert At least 15,000 voucher recipients have already opted out of the program.…

July Insider

1 Jul at 7:28 pm

Sign up for the monthly newsletterThe 4th of July this month marks an opportunity to reflect on our mission to protect the fundamental rights of all Texans to a free, quality public education. We share that mission not only with you but with generations of Texas families, civil rights advocates, and community leaders who recognize that strong public schools that welcome all students are an essential cornerstone to our democracy. Thank you for all that you do for our schools! Action Alert Catch up with what we know (and don’t yet know) about Texas’ voucher…

News, OSOD in Action, School Closures

School Closures Are Escalating Across Texas. ‘It’s Not a Local Failure.’

26 Jun at 5:39 pm

This article by Josephine Lee was published in the Texas Observer on June 24, 2026.

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