White families make up bulk of Texas voucher applicants

Key Points:

• Preliminary data from Texas' school voucher program shows 45% of applicants are white, 23% Hispanic, and 11% Black, with 36% of applicants from low-income families, contrasting with the state's public school demographics where 24% are white, 54% Hispanic, and 13% Black, and about 60% are low-income.
• Approximately 73% of voucher applicants previously attended private school or were home-schooled during the 2024-25 academic year, indicating most applicants are not currently public school students.
• The program offers around $10,500 annually for private school students, up to $2,000 for home-schoolers, and up to $30,000 for children with disabilities, with demand exceeding $1 billion, prompting a lottery system prioritizing students with disabilities and low- to middle-income families.
• Critics highlight that few public school families have applied, emphasizing the value of public schools for services like special education and extracurriculars, while the state anticipates the final participant pool to differ from the initial applicant demographics.
• Families must secure private school enrollment by July 15 to receive funding, and the program’s structure may limit participation for students with disabilities due to private schools' limited accommodation requirements.