Texas plans to offer $10,474 for each student that chooses to go to a private school after $1 billion in funding was passed by the Texas Legislature for the initiative, however, schools must enroll in the Texas Education Freedom Account program.
According to a press release from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, about 600 private schools and prekindergarten providers across Texas stepped forward to participate in TEFA within 10 days of the school applications opening.
The release also said more than 200 education service providers, including tutors and therapists, have signed up.
On the program’s website, a map of schools that have committed to participating in the program are listed. Here are the ones from southern Denton County:
- Future Scholars Preparatory, which is a Pre-K facility on Justin Road in Lewisville.
- Enlighten Academy, a Pre-K provider on West Round Grove Road in Lewisville.
- Lamb of God Preschool, which provides a Pre-K education on Cross Timbers Road in Flower Mound.
- Temple Christian Academy, which provides K-12 education on Northshore Blvd. in Flower Mound.
- St. Peter School, a private school offering Pre-K and kindergarten services on Cleveland Gibbs Road in Northlake.
- The Children’s Courtyard, which offers Pre-K education on Alliance Gateway Freeway in north Fort Worth.
In addition to the schools, the website is designed to be a resource for families preparing to apply. It includes the school finder and a “Parent Prep Checklist,” which aims to help families prepare information needed before applications open.
While most schools opting in early on are preschools offering Pre-K, Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock expects participation to grow ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
Applications for families will open on February 4, 2026 and all applications will need to be submitted before the window closes on March 17, 2026.
“Families deserve to have clear information, real options and confidence as they plan for their children’s education for the upcoming school year,” said Hancock. “TEFA is designed to put parents in the driver’s seat, and the early responses from schools show that Texas families will have meaningful choices when applications open in February.”
According to Hancock, applications will be prioritized as required by state law and a lottery will be used if interest exceeds available funding.
The Comptroller’s office expects to start notifying families of their approved applications in early April.
Students enrolled in a participating private school will receive $10,474 for the 2026-2027 school year, or 85% of the statewide average of state and local funding per public school student as required by statute.
Any student with an Individualized Education Program on file with the Texas Education Agency by the end of the application period may receive up to $30,000 based on their educational needs.
Participating homeschool students will receive $2,000.
For more information, visit the Texas Comptroller’s website and the Education Freedom Texas website.
According to Hancock, the school finder tool will be updated as more schools enroll into the TEFA program.
