AUSTIN, Texas — Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey was in office when a school voucher system was implemented in his state. Critics are now trying to dismantle it because of the financial strain it has caused to the state’s budget. But Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas will be different.

What You Need To Know

  • Texas considers a school voucher system similar to Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, despite criticism

  • Abbott promised full funding for public education alongside vouchers

  • Arizona's voucher system has received criticism due to soaring costs, and current Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs wants to repeal the system

  • The Texas Senate’s voucher bill easily passed off of the floor, but getting it through the House is where voucher bills in the past have gone to die

“We’re going to fully fund public education, while at the same time ensure that parents and children are going to have the opportunity to find the school that’s best for them,” said Abbott.

Arizona expanded its voucher program under Ducey’s leadership to allow any student to apply for a voucher, which is the model Abbott prefers.

“It’s turned out terribly for low-income and middle-class families. And it’s worked quite well for wealthy families who already send their kids to private schools,” said David DeMatthews, a University of Texas at Austin professor of education policy.

Arizona’s current governor, Democrat Katie Hobbs, wants to repeal the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts that were expected to cost $65 million last fiscal year. Instead, it reached $738 million and is expected to grow even more in 2025.

“I left the current governor, Katie Hobbs, a $2.5 billion surplus, and that’s with school choice. Any budget challenges that they’re facing today is because of irresponsible spending that’s happened since 2023,” said Ducey.

Many opponents of the Texas proposal point to the inflating costs of Arizona’s program.

“Now our legislative budget board tells us that if we enact an Arizona like voucher program here, it’s going to be a school-starving, budget-busting program for Texas, and we can’t afford it,” said state Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas.

The Texas proposals estimate students get around $10,000, and the voucher program is projected to grow from $1 billion to $5 billion per year by the end of the decade. Abbott suggests that the cost will only rise if money is appropriated.

“It is wrong. Flat out incorrect for anybody to suggest that number is going to grow larger in future years,” said Abbott. “The number can only grow as large as much as the Texas Legislature decides to appropriate to it.”

Arizona has also dealt with voucher fraud. Last December, a grand jury indicted two out-of-state people for pocketing over $110,000 in voucher money by using the names of 50 children — 43 of whom did not exist.

Policy experts suggest fraud could be possible within the Texas proposal without oversight on how private schools are created. 

“We could admit students take that voucher money. And then we could close up in a year or two once we once we made a profit,” said DeMatthews.

The Senate’s voucher bill easily passed off of the floor, but getting it through the House is where voucher bills in the past have gone to die.

The Texas House Committee on Public Education is expected to move forward its version of a voucher bill early next week.