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Get a breakdown and historical context of the major developments on school choice in Texas this year.
Sarah Jordan
CMO, LearningSpring
Check back here for updates in our summarized, month-by-month timeline of the major 2025 school choice developments in Texas.
Feb 26 — A thin GOP majority in the Texas House publicly backed a voucher measure, signaling momentum but also showing key holdouts.
Apr 17 — After lengthy debate, the Texas House passed SB 2 (ESA program), 85 to 63
Apr 13-19 — According to Google Trends, the search term “school choice” reached an all-time high, with Houston driving the top search volume.
Apr 24 — Final legislative passage of SB 2; Texas is set to become the 16th state with a universal ESA program.
May 3 — Governor Greg Abbott signed the ESA legislation into law, touting it as a landmark school choice program.
July — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) issued funding and allotment updates, particularly those tied to special education, as a result the new legislation.
Aug 22 — The Texas Comptroller published a proposed set of Education Savings Account (ESA0 rules in the Texas Register, opening a 30-day public comment window.
Mid-Aug context — Coverage notes full-time virtual public school enrollment up ~1,200% since 2014 (≈62,000 students in 2024-25), a parallel “choice” trend relevant to ESA rollout discussions.
Sept 1 — SB 2 (ESA legislation) went into effect
Sept 18 — The TEA issued implementation guidance (special education funding updates, waitlist mechanics, transportation rate changes, etc.), but not yet ESA rules.
Sept 21 — Public comment period closes on the Comptroller’s proposed ESA rules. While not finalized, initial summaries of the rules include:
Check back here for timeline updates or subscribe to our updates list and receive them directly to your inbox.
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