Early data from Texas’ new Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) program are beginning to provide insight into how the state’s voucher initiative may affect school districts. According to the program’s initial application fact sheet, more than 163,000 students applied during the first month of the application window. You can see how many of those applicants are from your district here.

It is our understanding that the level of applicants exceeds the capacity of the program under current appropriation levels and will result in prioritization of applicants through a lottery. The Comptroller's office will announce more information on that process in the coming weeks.

Initial reporting from the Houston Chronicle suggests that more than 70 percent of the applicants may already be enrolled in private schools or homeschooling, raising questions about how much the program will shift students from public schools versus subsidize families already outside the system.

Special Education Impacts: District leaders are also watching special education evaluation requests tied to voucher eligibility. As reported by the Texas Tribune, students seeking higher voucher funding levels for disabilities need documentation of eligibility for special education services, which most often requires evaluations conducted by public school districts. As of this week, districts have submitted nearly 2,100 evaluations for voucher applicants.

These evaluations can require significant staff time and coordination among specialists. Some families were unaware of how long it can take to obtain the required evaluations and documentation, which can take several weeks to complete and may extend beyond the program's application window. 

As a result, districts could experience increased requests for evaluations and records, placing additional demands on already limited special education staff and resources that are typically dedicated to serving students currently enrolled in public schools. 

Our friends at TCASE have provided this resource to help your special education staff navigate these new requirements.

ISD Vendor Applications: The Comptroller's office announced yesterday that the TEFA vendor applications are now open. Under SB 2, public schools can become vendors or providers as long as they offer services and/ or products in a manner that doesn’t count toward the school’s average daily attendance. Public schools will undergo the same application and approval process as other private sector vendors applying for the program.