FORT WORTH — Texas will launch an education savings account program in the fall, offering an estimated $1 billion in public funds for private school or homeschooling expenses. The program covers expenses such as textbooks, music lessons, transportation, and technology. Texas Education Freedom Accounts prioritize students with documented disabilities and their siblings if the family income is less than $165,000 for a family of four. The program subsequently prioritizes children from families earning less than $66,000 for a family of four. Governor Greg Abbott expedited the creation of these accounts last year, and Donald Trump contacted Republican lawmakers to advocate for the passage of the legislation.

Texas lawmakers removed a provision that would have allocated 80 percent of first-year Freedom Accounts to students leaving public schools. Private schools are not legally required to admit students with special needs or provide special education services. Saint Rita Catholic School, which charges $7,000 in annual tuition, enrolls students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and borderline intellectual function. Nine states currently offer taxpayer-funded scholarships for students with special needs to attend private school or learn at home, including Indiana, Florida, and Arizona, which have had such programs for an extended period.

Maria Contreras is seeking a private school scholarship for her 7-year-old son, Ian, through the new Texas Education Freedom Accounts program. Ian, a second-grader, has difficulty focusing in class and reads significantly below grade level. Contreras requested a learning disability evaluation for Ian in the fall, but school staff did not conduct an evaluation for several months.

Ian's elementary school has a student body where nearly all students are economically disadvantaged, and a majority are English language learners. Four percent of students at his elementary school qualify for special education services, while 14 percent of students districtwide qualify. Contreras, who holds legal permanent residency in the U.S., formally requested a special education evaluation for Ian at his public school with assistance from her daughter. She and her husband, a welder, moved to Texas from Mexico; their family earns approximately $70,000 annually.