Thousands of Texas students face waitlist for school choice

TYLER, Texas (KETK) — A surge of interest in Texas’ new school choice program means thousands of families may be left waiting. A record 274,183 students applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts ahead of the March 31 deadline, far exceeding the program’s available funding, according to state leaders.

In East Texas alone, 8,855 applications were submitted by families with students currently enrolled in local school districts. With funding expected to cover only about 100,000 students statewide, officials say a lottery system will determine who receives the education accounts.
What ‘school choice’ means for Texas children’s futures

The program allows families to use state funds for alternatives to public education, including private school tuition and homeschooling expenses. Priority will be given to students with disabilities and those from lower-income families.
East Texas School Districts
SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER OF APPLICANTS
Arp ISD 45
Athens ISD 148
Atlanta ISD 59
Big Sandy ISD 42
Brownsboro ISD 131
Bullard ISD 309
Canton ISD 77
Carthage ISD 32
Central ISD 51
Central Heights CISD 34
Chapel Hill ISD (Smith County) 246
Frankston ISD 31
Gilmer ISD 104
Gladewater ISD 70
Grand Saline ISD 45
Groveton ISD 32
Hallsville ISD 411
Harleton ISD 31
Harmony ISD 320
Henderson ISD 102
Hudson ISD 37
Huntington ISD 55
Jacksonville ISD 155
Jefferson ISD 85
Kilgore ISD 138
LaPoynor ISD 47
Lindale ISD 222
Linden-Kildare CISD 41
Livingston ISD 235
Longview ISD 585
Lufkin ISD 175
Mabank ISD 117
Malakoff ISD 31
Marshall ISD 368
Mt. Pleasant ISD 42
Mt. Vernon ISD 34
Nacogoches ISD 350
New Diana ISD 32
Palestine ISD 52
Pine Tree ISD 232
Pittsburg ISD 40
Pleasant Grove ISD 57
Quitman ISD 33
Rains ISD 61
Rusk ISD 109
Sabine ISD 34
Spring Hill ISD 92
Sulphur Springs ISD 191
Tatum ISD 39
Texarkana ISD 67
Trinity ISD 46
Troup ISD 51
Tyler ISD 1,736
Van ISD 113
Wells ISD 117
Whitehouse ISD 349
White Oak ISD 37
Wills Point ISD 79
Winnsboro ISD 63
Winona ISD 111
Yantis ISD 31
Data from The Texas Education Freedom Account

Families can expect results to begin rolling out later this month, with funding distributed starting in July.
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The Texas Education Freedom Account was created following the passage of Senate Bill 2 by the Texas Legislature. This bill allocated $1 billion in funding to help parents enroll their children in private schools or homeschool them.

These funds can be used for various education-related expenses, including academic assessments, private tutoring services, transportation to approved educational providers and meals offered by private schools.

For more information, people can visit the Texas Education Freedom Account website.