(JNS) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a major school-choice bill into law at the governor’s mansion in Austin on Saturday alongside hundreds of parents, students, teachers and advocates from across the state, his office stated.
Abbott stated that he promised to bring “education freedom to every Texas family” when he ran for re-election in 2022.
“Today, Texas delivers on that promise. I am signing this law that will ensure Texas families, whose children can no longer be served by the public school assigned to them, have the choice to take their money and find the school that is right for them,” he said.
“Today is a historic day,” he added.
Dan Patrick, the Texas lieutenant governor, said he considers “the enactment of school choice one of the hallmark policy victories of my career.”
“Texas parents will now be able to choose the best educational environment for their children. The Texas Senate and I have passed school choice six times since 2015, because we firmly believe in this principle,” Patrick said. “I am so glad the Texas House finally passed Senate Bill 2 so Gov. Abbott could sign it into law today.”
“Texas families will benefit for decades to come because of the actions we took this legislative session,” he stated.
The bill creates an education savings account program that allows “eligible students to direct funding toward their choice of pre-approved educational providers and services, such as private school tuition, instructional materials and educational therapies,” per the governor’s office.
“With $1 billion in funding for the 2026-27 school year, the program will be the largest day-one launch in the country,” it added.
“Texas is now the 16th state to pass universal school choice,” said Corey DeAngelis, an advocate of school choice. “This win is the biggest day-one school choice victory in U.S. history.”
