school vouchers

Families have until July 15 to opt in to the education savings accounts, or ESAs, which launches next school year.

The Texas comptroller's office will conduct a lottery the week of April 27 to determine which additional families can receive education savings accounts.

The demographic breakdown of applicants shows Texas' voucher program will likely not reflect the diversity of Texas public school students.

Confusion over the program's special education requirements is making it difficult for families to meet a looming deadline — and creating more work for Texas school districts.

Applications will close March 17, with funding notifications sent to families beginning in early April. The rollout follows a years-long battle at the Capitol and marks a major victory for the governor after repeated failed attempts to pass similar legislation.

Several court hearings and policies affecting education, health and more will roll out in the new year.

Private schools looking to educate participating students may also have a chance to apply to the program before the end of the year.

For the first time since Texas authorized the program, the state heard public testimony from people concerned about pre-K funding, special education provisions and data reporting.

Finance and technology company Odyssey will help design the application process, manage payments and review complaints for the state's education savings accounts.

The sweeping legislation creates Education Savings Accounts, which allow parents to use state tax dollars toward private education costs. With $1 billion in initial funding, Texas' program is the largest day 1 plan of its kind in the nation.