Governor Greg Abbott made his first public remarks after the November 5 elections, emphasizing a clear message to lawmakers and families across Texas: School choice is coming.
Speaking from the campus of Kingdom Life Academy (KLA), a small East Texas private school focused on students who have dropped out or are at risk of doing so, Abbott expressed confidence that the momentum for school choice in the Lone Star State had reached a critical turning point.
“For years, Texas families have been sending a message to Austin: They deserve school choice,” Abbott said. “And now, they’ve sent me the legislators who can get the job done. We have 79 hard votes in the Texas House. It takes 76.”
Abbott’s comments follow the results of the 2024 elections, in which pro-school choice candidates gained significant ground in both the Texas House and Senate. The governor has long been an advocate of school choice, often framing it as a way to empower parents and improve education options, particularly for students in underperforming schools.
School Choice Gains Traction in Texas
The concept of school choice, often associated with "voucher" programs, has been a divisive issue in Texas politics, especially within the GOP. However, Abbott has aggressively campaigned for it, especially in the March Republican primary elections, where he opposed incumbent lawmakers who were skeptical of such programs.
At the heart of Abbott’s proposal is the expansion of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), a program already active in 18 other states and the District of Columbia. Under Abbott's plan, Texas parents would receive public funds through ESAs, which could be spent on a range of educational services, including private or public school tuition, tutoring, or instructional materials.
“This program should be universal—available to every K-12 student in Texas,” Abbott said. “We want to give parents more freedom to choose the best educational opportunities for their children.”
Abbott faced vocal opposition to the plan from teacher unions and public school advocacy groups, who argue that school choice programs could drain funding from public schools, particularly in low-income areas.
"They make it sound like we can't have both school choice and robust public school funding," Abbott countered. "But it doesn’t have to be one or the other."
A "Second Chance" for Struggling Students
Abbott’s remarks came as he toured Kingdom Life Academy, a private school serving students who have already fallen through the cracks of traditional public education. KLA focuses on students who have dropped out or are at risk of doing so, offering them an alternative path to success through academic recovery and life skills training.
“Some people say school choice will only take the best and brightest students away from public schools. That’s just not true,” Abbott said. “The students at Kingdom Life Academy are ones the public schools have already given up on. These are students who have fallen through the cracks.”
Joel Enge, director of Kingdom Life Academy, echoed the governor’s sentiments, describing the students at his school as “second-chance learners.” At KLA, students not only work toward earning their high school diploma but also gain valuable life skills, such as budgeting, time management, and job readiness. Students even receive paychecks for their work at the school, and upon graduation, many leave with a food handling certificate, enabling them to immediately find employment if they choose.
Abbott praised the school’s model, noting that it exemplifies how non-traditional education can set students up for success.
“One size doesn’t fit all,” Abbott said. “What we see here at Kingdom Life Academy is a program that takes kids who have been left behind and helps them get back on track for a better life.”
The Road Ahead for Texas School Choice
As Abbott continues to push for universal school choice in Texas, he faces a battle not just with opposition from teacher unions but also with the challenge of convincing skeptical lawmakers that the proposal will benefit all students—both public and private.
With the legislative session set to begin in January, all eyes will be on the Texas Capitol to see if Abbott can capitalize on his election victory and secure the votes necessary to pass his school choice initiative into law. If successful, Texas would join the ranks of other states, including Arizona, Florida, and Tennessee, where school choice programs have already reshaped the landscape of K-12 education.
For now, Abbott remains optimistic that the political landscape in Texas has shifted in his favor, and with strong support in the legislature, he believes school choice will soon be a reality for every family in the state.
