09/03/2025
Day 2 of informing Texans of the new laws that went into effect on September 1, 2025:
Senate Bill 2 will create one of the country’s largest school voucher programs, allowing parents to pay for their children’s accredited private school tuition or other education-related expenses with public tax dollars. In most cases, each child will receive just over $10,000 per year, though students with disabilities could receive up to $30,000 in additional funding. Wealthier families with children already in private schools could also participate.
Texas can spend up to $1 billion during its upcoming two-year budget cycle, though the program’s cost could rise significantly afterwards.
The law’s passage followed years of fighting between GOP lawmakers, who framed the issue as providing school choice to parents, and Democrats and rural Republicans who said vouchers would harm public schools. Abbott threw his weight behind the effort to elect more pro-voucher Republicans and succeeded last year. SB 2 takes effect on Sept. 1, but the voucher program itself isn’t expected to launch until the 2026-27 school year.
House Bill 2 will provide about $8.5 billion in new money to public schools, as districts across the state tackle long-running challenges following years of stagnant funding. From this pot, more than $4 billion will go toward raising educator’s pay. The additional dollars will also be used for educator preparation, special education, safety requirements and early childhood learning. A significant part of the law activated immediately, while another big chunk will take effect on Sept. 1. Some will roll out in future years.
