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<\/p>\nAfter applications closed for the state\u2019s first year of education savings accounts on Tuesday, the state revealed that more than 274,000 students applied for the program and that the San Antonio region had the fourth-largest chunk of applications.<\/p>\n
Dubbed Texas Education Freedom Accounts, the school voucher-like program is overseen by the state comptroller\u2019s office and would help participating families pay for private school tuition and services.<\/p>\n
Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock said Texas \u201cset the national record for year-one demand in a school choice program.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not surprising that a state as big as Texas has more voucher applicants than other smaller states, especially with such a large marketing budget,\u201d\u00a0said Carrie Griffith, Executive Director of Our Schools Our Democracy, which launched the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency when TEFA applications opened. <\/p>\n
Griffith also says very few families of public school students showed interest in the program \u2014 a relief for school districts trying to sustain enrollment as the education landscape grow more competitive.<\/p>\n
In the San Antonio region, which includes surrounding counties and parts of South Texas, more than 30,000 students applied, including 21,483 students in 15 Bexar County-area school districts. <\/p>\n
Of those 21,483 applicants, roughly 29% (6,151 students) had enrolled in San Antonio public schools during the 2024-25 school year, according to an analysis by the San Antonio Report based on state data.<\/p>\n
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Northside ISD, North East ISD and San Antonio ISD saw the largest number of students within their districts apply for a TEFA, but it\u2019s unclear if those students are currently enrolled with the districts, a local charter or a private school. <\/p>\n
This outpaced the state\u2019s rate \u2014 about 25% \u2014 of students who applied for a TEFA and were previously enrolled in public school. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear where applicants attended school this year, but the preliminary numbers suggest most of the funds will go toward families who enrolled in private school or home school before the TEFA program launched.<\/p>\n
The preliminary report also shows Hispanic students are underrepresented, with 23% of applicants identifying as Hispanic and 43% identifying as (non-Hispanic) white. For comparison, 53% of public school students in Texas identify as Hispanic and 24% as white.<\/p>\n
In San Antonio, the discrepancy may be even larger, as 64.4% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino according the U.S. Census Bureau. <\/p>\n
State trends<\/p>\n
Of the 274,000 applications statewide, 24,941 or just over 9% were deemed ineligible by the comptroller\u2019s office, with most coming from preschool applications, which have stricter eligibility criteria<\/a>.<\/p>\n Preschool applications also marked the highest number of applications per grade level, reflecting high demands for early education and child care, a need that\u2019s exacerbated in Bexar County<\/a> despite the city funding its own program called Pre-K 4 SA.<\/p>\n Across all applications, 43,090 indicated having a disability, which could qualify those families for up to $30,000 compared to the $10,500 that most families will get. Homeschoolers will receive $2,000 annually.<\/p>\n Local education experts worry that even if families with disabilities are awarded the larger amounts, they may have trouble finding spots for their students.<\/p>\n San Antonio\u2019s private schools largely don\u2019t have the resources to provide special education services, said Marisa Perez-Diaz, a member on the State Board of Education representing Bexar County, during a panel at the San Antonio Report\u2019s annual Ed Forum<\/a> on March 31.<\/p>\n \u201cEither these private schools that are now receiving voucher dollars will use those dollars to then bring on resources to their campuses\u2026 or the institutions who choose to still not offer those services will then not be able to service students with special needs,\u201d Perez-Diaz said.<\/p>\n Under state legislation, the TEFA program has to prioritize middle- to low-income families with disabilities, followed by families at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, then families between 200% and 500% of the FPG, and finally, families who make more than that. <\/p>\n Travis Pillow, a spokesperson for the TEFA program, said the state is likely to fund all students in the first priority group and most students in the second priority group. <\/p>\n Demand exceeded the program\u2019s $1 billion, meaning most applications in the third and second priority groups will be waitlisted and placed in a lottery. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s looking like we will have 0% of participating students above 500% of the poverty guidelines this year,\u201d Pillow said. <\/p>\n Families have until July 15 to enroll in a private school, which are not required to accept students.<\/p>\n The state will start notifying families with awards later this month and partially release funds by July. Even though the application window closed for families, private schools and vendors can apply to accept TEFA money on a rolling basis. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EducationForum_SAREvents_TexasPublicRadio_PublicPrivateK-12Schooling_VouchersEducationSavingsAccount.jpeg\")
Texas Board of Education member Marisa Perez-Diaz answers a question during the San Antonio Report\u2019s Education Forum at Texas Public Radio on March 31, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n