At least 350 Corpus Christi students have received a state-funded voucher to pay for private or home school education costs.
Last week, the Texas Comptroller’s Office announced the first round of awards in the Texas Education Freedom Account program, also known as school vouchers, which will begin funding approved non-public educational costs for accepted students next school year. The first students who have been accepted are in the program’s top priority tier for students with disabilities from low- and middle-income households and their siblings.
These families should have received their award notification between April 22 and April 24. If families received an award, the deadline to confirm enrollment in a participating private school, decide to home school or opt out of the program is July 15.
There are still funds remaining, though not enough to provide for every child who applied. Additional families will receive award notifications in the coming weeks, according to the comptroller’s office.
How many local students have received funding awards?
The state comptroller’s office has released the number of students accepted so far residing in each public school district where at least 30 students have been accepted.
So far, only two Coastal Bend school districts have appeared on the list, Corpus Christi Independent School District and Calallen Independent School District.
From Corpus Christi ISD, 321 students have received funding awards so far, representing just under 15% of students who applied from the district. From Calallen ISD, 32 students out of 166 applicants have received awards so far.
It is unclear how many of these local students are currently attending public school. Statewide, 53% of the more than 42,600 students who have received funding awards are prior private or home-schooled students, according to the comptroller’s office.
Students from other Coastal Bend school districts applied, but because the state is only releasing data when over 30 students are counted, it’s unclear whether small numbers of students from these other districts might have been accepted as well.
At least 30 students from the following school districts applied for funding, according to the comptroller’s office:
To qualify for the top priority tier, students had to have a qualifying disability, as evidenced by an active individualized education program, which is determined by public schools. For the application phase, families could also submit other medical documentation, but in order to actually receive funds next year, students will need an active IEP.
According to the comptroller’s office, 63% of tier one applicants who received an award already had an active IEP.
Additionally, the top priority tier had an income cut-off. Students only qualified for this tier if their household income was at or below 500% of the federal poverty level, which is a sliding scale based on household size. For a family of three, 500% of the federal poverty level is $136,600.
What does statewide data show about recipients?
Just over half of the students awarded funding in the first round have a household income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less. Two hundred percent of the federal poverty level amounts to $54,640 annually for a family of three.
Statewide, 63% of the students who received an award in the first round of funding were tier one applicants with a qualifying disability who met the income requirements, according to data from the comptroller’s office. The rest were siblings of tier one applicants.
About three-quarters of Texas students who have received awards so far applied with the intention of attending private school next year.
For applicants who haven’t yet received notification or were not accepted, what’s next?
This week, the state will “conduct a lottery” to determine which students in the second priority tier will be accepted for the 2026-27 school year. The lottery will be done “in consultation with an independent agency.”
Students who aren’t chosen will receive a spot on the waitlist, with the chance to receive a voucher if awarded students opt out, according to a news release from the comptroller’s office.
The second priority tier is for children who are members of households whose annual income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, including students without disabilities.
Students with higher household incomes are not expected to receive funds for 2026-27.
For families who were not accepted in the first priority tier, funding determinations can be appealed within 30 days of receiving notice. However, according to the comptroller’s office, adjustments will only be made based on school district and IEP documentation.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here’s how many Corpus Christi students received school vouchers so far
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
