More than 200,000 students have applied for Texas’ new education savings account program, according to numbers released Monday by the state comptroller’s office.
Families have until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday to apply for Texas Education Freedom Accounts, the state’s new private school choice program. The program gives families public money to pay for expenses like private school tuition and homeschooling costs.
State officials say the program’s inaugural application period is the largest-ever launch of a new school choice program in U.S. history. By 10 a.m. Monday, 200,003 students had applied for the program, including 6,707 students who are zoned to Dallas ISD, 3,782 in Fort Worth ISD and 3,691 in Plano ISD, according to the comptroller’s office.
The $1 billion program gives priority to students with disabilities and students in low- to middle-income families. A majority of applicants fall into those categories. Students with disabilities made up 12% of the applicants, and students whose families earned less than twice the federal poverty level made up 30% of the applicants. Another 30% were in families whose income was between two and five times the federal poverty level.
The Education Lab
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
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