What We Know (and Don’t Yet Know) About the Texas Voucher Program
As Texans await final enrollment data, early numbers provide answers—and raise important questions
Austin, Texas — Today, as Texas begins sending the first installment of $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to private schools and homeschools, Texans deserve clear answers to their questions.
“Texans know more today about the state’s new voucher program than they did just a few months ago, but Texans are still waiting for answers to some of the most important questions about how the state’s $1 billion taxpayer-funded voucher program is operating in practice,” said Carrie Griffith, Executive Director of Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD), the nonpartisan organization that oversees the new Texas Center for Voucher Transparency (TXCVT). “What remains clear is that a lack of transparency into private school operations risks giving Texas families more options on paper than in practice.”
A Majority of Voucher Awards Continue to Benefit Families Already Enrolled in Private or Home School
According to the Comptroller’s June 23 update, a total of almost 107,000 voucher awards have been granted to Tier 1 and Tier 2 applicants after nearly 3,000 previously-awarded students opted out of the program.
Of those awarded, over half (57%) had prior enrollment in private school or homeschool settings (excluding awards for Pre-K, K, and first grade, which the Comptroller chose not to include in the fact sheet).
According to a June 5 PIR response from the Comptroller, there are at least 192 Texas public school districts where 30 or more previously enrolled students had been awarded a voucher. (The Comptroller did not provide the number or names of school districts with fewer than 30 voucher awardees, so it’s likely there are more than 192 districts.) TXCVT provided the voucher award information directly to superintendents to support local planning efforts and help schools make proactive informed decisions about budgeting, staffing, and student services for the upcoming school year.
Texas Taxpayer Dollars Flow to a Growing Private Education Marketplace with Limited Transparency
Data released by the Comptroller yesterday and obtained through TXCVT Public Information Requests show substantial taxpayer dollars are going to approved private educational providers and program administration, including:
- Up to $80 million in taxpayer funding for program administration, services, and outreach, including a $2.5 million contract for accounting and consulting services.
- More than 3,800 private schools and online school providers are shown on the TEFA map. However, only 2,500 are listed in the TEFA Toolkit Participating School List.
- Almost 60% of approved private school providers serve only Pre-K through Kindergarten students.
- 67 online schools, including providers located outside Texas.
- The Comptroller’s media release claims “nearly 2,400 vendors.” However, only 1,200 approved vendors from 40 states are listed in the TEFA Toolkit Participating Vendor List.
- Over half (56%) of Texas counties still do not currently have a ‘brick-and-mortar’ elementary, middle, or high school accepting vouchers.
TXCVT’s analysis of the voucher-approved private schools shows that Texas’ voucher marketplace is largely composed of faith-based institutions, led primarily by Christian and Catholic schools, while Islamic and Jewish-affiliated schools represent a much smaller share of approved providers. The Comptroller’s downloadable list of participating schools also includes a large number of Montessori programs, Prenda Microschools, and schools using AI-driven “2-Hour Learning” platforms.
Questions about private school affordability also remain, including whether private schools are increasing tuition as a result of the voucher program. While a statewide analysis is not yet available, TXCVT’s initial review of 59 voucher-approved schools shows that many private schools do not publicly post tuition rates making it difficult for families or the public to know. However, a few reports submitted through the TXCVT Voucher Watchdog Portal have raised questions about tuition practices, including allegations of different tuition rates for voucher-funded and private-pay students. TXCVT does not investigate or verify complaints, and has shared these publicly-reported concerns to the Comptroller to encourage transparency and accountability.
Texas Voucher Promise Tracker: What We Still Don’t Know
As Texas enters the first year of voucher implementation, TXCVT is launching its Texas Voucher Promise Tracker to monitor whether the program is delivering on the commitments made to Texas families and taxpayers. While the Comptroller’s Fact Sheets have answered some questions, many of the claims made during the legislative debate cannot yet be evaluated because the underlying information has not been released or is unavailable.
Among the questions Texans continue to ask:
- Opportunity: Does the program expand educational opportunities for students leaving public schools, or do most taxpayer-funded vouchers benefit families already enrolled in private schools or homeschooling?
- Student Need: Is the program a “lifeline for students in failing schools” as supporters frequently cited? How many voucher applicants and awardees previously attended district or charter campuses with a D- or F-rating? The Comptroller has informed TXCVT that it does not have this information, raising questions about how this claim will be evaluated.
- Fairness: Are public schools being negatively impacted by the voucher program? Voucher supporters have repeatedly made the claim that Texas public schools will not be harmed by the TEFA voucher program.
- Transparency: Which private schools received the greatest number of applications, and which ones enrolled voucher-supported students previously enrolled in public schools?
- Fiscal Responsibility: Which accreditation organizations approved the more than 3,800 participating private and online schools, and what fees are paid to those organizations?
TXCVT has submitted multiple Public Information Requests seeking additional transparency regarding participating schools, enrollment patterns, admissions practices, and program outcomes.
“Good policy requires great information,“ said Dee Carney, Director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency. “The first year of the voucher program should not be measured only by the number of applications submitted or awards granted; the voucher program should also be measured by whether it is meeting the promises made to Texas families and taxpayers. The Texas Voucher Promise Tracker will continue to follow the data as it becomes available.”
Transparency, Fiscal Responsibility, and Fairness Matter
Application data tells only part of the story. As final enrollment data from private schools become available, Texans deserve clear, accurate information about who is using taxpayer-funded vouchers, where these students enroll, how public funds are being spent, and whether the program is delivering on its stated promises. TXCVT will continue using Comptroller data, Public Information Requests, and independent analysis to help Texans understand both what we know—and what we still need to know.