First round of students notified of acceptance to school choice program

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(The Center Square) – The first group of students are being notified this week of their acceptance to Texas’ first school choice Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program.

Gov. Greg Abbott said the new program “paves the way for Texas to become the No. 1 state for education. These accounts will give parents the freedom to choose the best learning environment for their children, regardless of their income or location.”

More than 42,600 students are being notified, the Texas Comptroller’s Office, who administers the program, said. They include students and their siblings with qualifying disabilities in households at or below 500% of the federal poverty level.

“The Legislature made low- and middle-income students with disabilities the first priority for the first year of school choice here in Texas, and that is exactly where this process starts,” Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock said in. a statement. “These awards put tens of thousands of Texas families one step closer to the educational path that works best for their children.”

The initial round of award notifications began Wednesday, April 22, and will continue through Friday, April 24. Parents may appeal funding determinations within 30 days of receiving their notice, the comptroller’s office said. Adjustments will only be made based on school district and Individualized Education Program documentation, the office said.

The first round of funds is going to 42,644 students, 51% come from households at or below 500% of the federal poverty level; 49% come from households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, according to state data. Two-thirds have documented disabilities, according to the data. The majority of applicants, 74% currently attend private school; 26% are homeschooled.

The largest percentage of recipients are white (42%), Hispanic (25%) and Black (16%), according to the data.  

The greatest number of students who applied for the program live in the areas with the largest public-school districts, including in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, according to state data.

Additional families are expected to receive TEFA award notifications in the coming weeks.

The comptroller’s office will also be conducting a lottery during the week of April 27 to determine which students in the next lowest income threshold will be accepted to the program. 

A lottery is being held because more applicants applied than spaces are allotted for, according to the law that created the program. A record 274,183 students applied, setting a national record for the first year of a new school choice program, the comptroller’s office said.

The TEFA program, which prioritizes the disabled and low-income students, allows families to enroll their children in a school of their choice, pay for private school tuition, homeschool expenses, tutoring, career and technical education programs, among other expenses, using taxpayer money. 

The legislature allocated $1 billion to fund it, allocating roughly $30,000 for students with disabilities, roughly $10,000 for other students and $2,000 for homeschool students. 

The lottery will also assign waitlist positions.

Students who receive awards will have until July 15 to confirm enrollment in a participating private school, select homeschool/other or opt out of the program. More than 2,200 private schools have been approved to participate, with the list continuing to grow. Students who opt out will open up slots for those on the waitlist.