Senate concurs on SB 2; vouchers headed to governor's desk

The Texas Senate concurred with House amendments to its signature school voucher bill, SB 2, on April 24. While there was some speculation that the bill might end up in a conference committee to reconcile any differing opinions about its provisions, after some debate on the Senate floor, the senators voted along party lines to send SB 2 directly to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for his signature.

While the floor debate was almost certainly a foregone conclusion, senators from both parties gave impassioned speeches about school vouchers. 

Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) spoke about a House amendment that removed a prohibition on members of the legislature applying for school vouchers. He reminded his colleagues that last session, the provision was included without issue, but in the interest of pushing vouchers ahead as soon as possible, they declined to include it this time. 

Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills), a senator known for his reserved nature on the Senate floor, rose to speak about his 13 years as a school board member in Birdville ISD. He told his colleagues about how the economy was not in good shape then and school districts had to work with even less support from the state. Hancock said that the rhetoric from both pro- and anti-voucher senators had worn on him, citing that supporting public schools is critical, even while school vouchers take shape. He stressed that in his time as a school board member, with what little they had, they prioritized taking care of the teachers and it paid dividends, advice he said his colleagues would be wise to consider as the challenges facing public schools grow.

After all the senators who wished had their chance to speak, the bill's author, Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) closed on his bill, taking the opportunity to criticize his school voucher opponents, describing "the divisiveness of fake narratives" that he alleged exist only to prevent school vouchers from passing. He touted SB 2 as "a promise more than three decades in the making," and called on his colleagues to concur with the House's changes and send the bill to the governor.

The Senate concurred, 19-12, and Gov. Abbott is expected to sign it into law soon. 

What's in the final bill

Vouchers will be available beginning with the 2026-27 school year.

SB 2 would initially put $1 billion over a two-year period in taxpayer dollars toward education savings accounts that families could use for private school tuition and other school-related expenses, like textbooks, transportation and therapy. 

Most families participating in the voucher program would receive an amount equal to 85% of what public schools get for each student through state and local funding — roughly between $10,300 and $10,900 per year for each child, according to a recent legislative budget analysis.

Children with disabilities would be eligible for the same funding as other students, plus up to $30,000 in additional money, based on what the state would spend on special education services for that student in a public school. 

Home-schoolers could receive up to $2,000 per year.

Up to 20% of the program could go to families who earn 500% or more of the poverty rate, which would be about $160,000 or more for a family of four.

If demand exceeds available funding, the bill would give priority eligibility to students with disabilities and families it considers low income. It would also prioritize students who exit public schools over those already enrolled in private schools.