Hispanic students are underrepresented in the rollout of Texas’ school voucher program, while students previously enrolled in private school or homeschooled are overrepresented, state data released Monday shows.
Meanwhile, in San Antonio, 64% of total applicants approved for the program hail from either Northside ISD or Northeast ISD, according to the new numbers from the Texas Comptroller’s Office. The median family income in both districts hovers around $80,000, making them among the city’s most affluent.
Texas’ school vouchers, approved last year by the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature at the urging of Gov. Greg Abbott, are $10,000 coupons to cover private school tuition. Advocates of the program argue it will help students, including many Blacks and Latinos, escape failing school districts for better-equipped private campuses.
However, critics maintain the program will most benefit wealthy families with kids already in private schools while further defunding public districts already struggling to keep the lights on.
The new numbers from the Comptroller’s Office appear to raise new questions about whether vouchers are delivering as Abbott and his allies promised.
According to the data, 77% of the 93,825 recipients so far of the Texas Education Freedom Accounts — the state’s name for its voucher program — come from households earning at or below 200% of the federal poverty level — or $66,000 annually for a family of four. Despite that, 58% of voucher recipients statewide were either already enrolled in private school or home-schooled, the numbers show.
What’s more, even though Hispanics make up 40% of the state’s population, only 27% of total voucher recipients to date come from that ethnic background, according to state figures. Meanwhile, Anglo and Black students were overrepresented in comparison to their respective shares of the state’s demographic makeup.
The new data released Monday comes after the Texas Comptroller completed the second round of voucher handouts. The most recent round was reserved for families earning 200% or less of the federal poverty line. The first round, announced April 22, was reserved for students with qualifying disabilities and their siblings who earned no more than $165,000 in a household of four — or 500% of the federal poverty line.
The state has set aside about $1 billion for its school voucher program.
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A limited group of families with 3- and 4-year-olds who already qualify for free public pre-K can receive state funds to attend private preschool.
The bill will go into effect during the 2026-27 school year, and it will allocate $10,000 in public money to subsidize private school tuitions.
Proponents of Texas’ voucher program said it would help poor families afford private school, but the San Antonio numbers suggest that’s not the case.