The Texas Center for Voucher Transparency (TXCVT) is an independent, nonpartisan public resource that supports transparency, fiscal responsibility, and fairness in the implementation of the $1 billion taxpayer-funded Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) voucher program.
Our goal is simple: To uphold the public trust and ensure that Texans have timely, credible information about how the voucher program operates, who it benefits, and how it affects public schools and communities.
No matter where you live or who you vote for, most Texans can agree on three principles when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars.
Good public policy should be clear and easy to understand and evaluate. The Texas Center for Voucher Transparency will conduct research and analyze data to provide Texans with timely, accurate, and usable information about the state’s voucher program, including whether the stated goal of the program is being met and who is – and is not – benefiting from the program. One of the most important questions to answer is whether the voucher program will primarily subsidize students already enrolled in private schools or home schools, as has happened in other states.
Texans believe in government efficiency. The TXCVT will monitor Texas’ voucher program to detect trends and flag any potential misuses of public funds. We know from watching other states what can happen when voucher programs are allowed to grow without guardrails and adequate oversight: budget deficits, misuse of public funds, and limited improvement in student outcomes.
Texas promises every Texan access to “an efficient system of public free schools.” Fairness means that one group of Texans shouldn’t benefit at the expense of others. Regardless of your position on vouchers, Texans deserve to know how voucher dollars are distributed across the state and how this impacts rural communities, special education services, public school district budgets and student outcomes.
