Texas Is Poised to Create a $1 Billion Private School Voucher Program

U.S.|Texas Is Poised to Create a $1 Billion Private School Voucher Program

The Texas House of Representatives voted early Thursday morning to create one of the largest taxpayer-funded school voucher programs, a hard-fought victory for private school choice activists as they turn their attention to a nationwide voucher push.

The measure still has some legislative hurdles to clear before Gov. Greg Abbott signs it into law, but the House vote — 85 to 63 — secured a win that was decades in the making, propelled by the governor’s hardball politics last year. It was also a significant defeat for Democrats, teachers’ unions and some rural conservatives who had long worried that taxpayer-funded private-school vouchers would strain public school budgets.

The program would be capped at $1 billion in its first year, but could grow quickly, potentially reaching an estimated $4.5 billion a year by 2030. The funds can be used for private school tuition and for costs associated with home-schooling, including curriculum materials and virtual learning programs.

The bill was championed by an ascendant wing of the Republican Party, closely allied with President Trump and important conservative donors, including Betsy DeVos, Mr. Trump’s wealthy former education secretary, and Jeff Yass, a billionaire financier from Pennsylvania and a Republican megadonor.

Hours before the vote, the president spoke by phone to Mr. Abbott and Republican representatives, urging them to support the measure. “It’s a really forward-thinking vote,” Mr. Trump said, his voice heard on speakerphone. “Whatever I can do, let me know.”

Those in the room cheered.

“It’s time to provide a full array of options to parents,” Representative Brad Buckley, a sponsor of the bill, said from the House floor before the vote.