More than 2,000 Fort Bend ISD families are using Texas's new Education Freedom Accounts to pay for private school or homeschooling for the 2026-27 school year, making the district the second-highest participant in the Houston area and fourth statewide.

The state's first-ever participation data, released Monday, Aug. 3, by Texas Comptroller Don Huffines, shows 2,024 students within FBISD boundaries received funding. Stafford Municipal School District had 43 funded students. Marshall High School, an FBISD campus in Missouri City, had 61 participants listed in parent-reported campus-level data, which the state noted is subject to verification, according to the state's demographic report.

Houston ISD led the region with 3,327 funded students, followed by Fort Bend ISD (2,024), Cy-Fair ISD (1,596), Conroe ISD (1,297) and Katy ISD (1,156).

What families receive

Students attending private school get approximately $10,474 each for the year. Students with qualifying disabilities can receive up to $30,000. Homeschooling families are eligible for up to $2,000 per student, according to Community Impact.

The program, created by Senate Bill 2 during the 89th Texas Legislature, drew $1 billion in state funding for its first year. Statewide, 85,344 students confirmed participation as of July 29, out of more than 274,000 applications. Demand far outpaced supply. More than 121,000 students remain on a waitlist the comptroller's office called the largest school choice waitlist in the country.

Who qualifies

Eighty percent of funded students come from households earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four in Texas, that threshold is $66,000 per year. For a family of three, it's $54,640; for a family of five, $77,360.

Nearly 25% of funded students have a qualifying disability. Those students were placed in the program's highest-priority tier and funded first, along with 12,800 of their siblings.

Students cannot use the account while enrolled full-time in a traditional public school. Families must formally withdraw their child before the program year begins.

Critics flag public school impact

The data arrives as FBISD manages a $32.8 million budget shortfall and the closure of seven elementary schools heading into the new school year. The district enrolled 1,801 fewer students in 2025-26 than it budgeted for.

Texas AFT President Zeph Capo told Fox 26 Houston on Aug. 4 that funding multiple education systems creates inefficiencies. "It waters down the system for everybody," Capo said.

Capo also noted that private schools are not required to accept all applicants, unlike public schools, meaning a student with special needs or a behavioral history could receive a voucher but still be turned away.

How to apply for next year

The 2026-27 application window closed March 31. The comptroller's office has not published dates for the 2027-28 cycle. Families can sign up for updates at educationfreedom.texas.gov.

The next Texas legislative session begins in January 2027, when lawmakers are expected to consider expanding the program. The Legislative Budget Board has projected demand could push TEFA funding to $3.3 billion by 2028.