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After years of pushing, conservatives in Texas have finally won the school-choice battle. The rules for the new Education Savings Account (ESA) program—widely praised as the largest in the country—have officially been released.
The program will launch in the 2026–27 school year, with parents able to begin applying for funds on February 4. Many conservatives are hailing it as one of the strongest school-choice programs in the nation.
That includes Corey DeAngelis with the American Culture Project, a longtime leading activist on the issue. He says the final rules completely debunk left-wing claims that school choice only benefits wealthy families.
“The fact of the matter is the exact opposite is true,” DeAngelis explained. “Low-income families benefit from school choice more than anybody else. This is a big deal for families who couldn’t afford private school before.”
While calling the program a great start, DeAngelis says there is room for improvement. He pointed specifically to the requirement that new private schools be accredited for two years before receiving ESA funds. “This is basically a barrier to market entry for new school providers or micro-schools,” he said. “These could be especially useful in rural areas.”
DeAngelis also wants the “arbitrary” funding caps rolled back so that every eligible Texan who applies can participate, rather than limiting the program to the roughly 2 percent of schoolchildren expected to be accepted in the first year.