Proponents of education savings accounts (ESA) will have a close eye on Gov. Greg Abbott's State of the State address on Sunday evening where he is likely to declare school choice an emergency item, allowing the Texas Senate to pass its ESA legislation as early as next week.

How Texas Gov. Greg Abbott might spend $2.9 billion in proposed state border security funds depends largely on how President Donald Trump plans to address challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border, Abbott’s office told Senate budget writers Thursday.

The education savings account package is the first bill to be sent to the Senate floor this year, reflecting urgency from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to pass the legislation after similar proposals died during the 2023 legislative session.

The Texas Senate Education Committee on Tuesday night voted to advance school voucher legislation for a full vote in the Senate after hours of public testimony largely focused on whether the proposal would live up to its promise of prioritizing low-income families and children with disabilities.

A proposal to create a school voucher-like plan for Texas was advanced by the Texas Senate Education Committee on Tuesday night, giving voucher supporters like Gov. Greg Abbott their first major win of the legislative session.

The Texas Senate Education Committee advanced a controversial school voucher bill, SB-2, for a full Senate vote.

Senate Bill 2, authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), would create an "Education Savings Account" (ESA) program that would allow Texas families to use public tax dollars to help pay for private education.

Without further ado, let’s get into the big three we’re watching as 2025 begins. School Vouchers and Public School Funding Sign up for our free newsletter to receive original, on-the-ground reports from the DFW area three times per week!

Legislation advances after a budget analysis estimates the cost of the voucher-style program will nearly quadruple in 4 years.

"The die has been cast. That fact is it's gonna pass," Sen. Royce West said during a Tuesday committee hearing. "The question is how you make it a better bill?"

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) wants Congress to reimburse his state for more than $11 billion spent on border security since the start of the Biden administration.

The Texas Senate is proposing $1 billion annually for a school voucher program. Sen. Brandon Creighton has now filed SB 2. Here's what's proposed.