Agudath Israel of America proudly celebrates a historic victory for parents and students across the Lone Star State as the Texas Legislature passes a landmark universal school choice bill.

On Thursday, the Texas Senate voted to concur with the House and pass SB2, finally giving families the educational freedom they have been asking for. SB2 is an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that would provide parents with approximately $10,000 per student to spend on a wide range of educational expenses, including private school tuition. Students with special needs could receive up to $30,000 per year. The bill allocates one billion dollars to the program. If the number of applicants exceeds available funds, low-income (see chart here) and special education students will be prioritized.

“Agudath Israel thanks Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, House Education Chairman Brad Buckley, and Senate Education Committee Chairman Brandon Creighton for their leadership,” said Rabbi Ari Weisenfeld, director of state relations for Agudath Israel of America. “More importantly, this couldn’t have happened without the countless parents and community members who have advocated alongside Agudath Israel and our coalition partners for the last two decades.”

“This ESA program will have a tangible positive impact on our families and community” said Rabbi Avi Pekier Head of School of Torah Day School of Dallas.

“I have had the privilege of joining Agudath Israel’s missions to Austin since 2007,” said Yakov Polatsek a Houston community leader. “We are grateful to Agudath Israel of America for representing our community in Texas, session after session, and for refusing to give up.”

“School choice is on the rise,” said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, Agudah’s national director of government affairs. “With Texas becoming the 16th state to enact universal school choice in the last four years, the next step is for President Trump and Congress to bring school choice to all 50 states with the federal passage of the Educational Choice for Children Act.”

Prioritization:

Tier 1: Special ed student from families earning less than 500% of the federal poverty level (FPL)

Tier 2: Students from families earning less than 200%FPL

Tier 3: Students from families earning between 200%-500%FPL

Tier 4: Students from families earning more than 500% FPL

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)