Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced March 10 that, one month into the application period, the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program has drawn applications for more than 160,000 students.

The number was expected to continue to rise as families continued to apply before the March 17 deadline, which occurred after The Katy Times went to press for this issue.

“Demand is strong for the record-setting launch of school choice in Texas,” Hancock said. “While there is still some time to apply, we want to make sure families don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate in this historic program’s first year, so we’re encouraging folks to avoid waiting until the last minute and go ahead and apply now.”

The Comptroller’s office is marking the occasion by releasing more detailed data about applicants for the TEFA program, including grade level, school district and Education Service Center region.

A graphic provided by the comptroller’s office showed the following:

· Income: 36% were at 200-500% of the federal poverty level (FPL), 35% were at less than 200% of the FLP and 29% were above 500% of the FPL.

· Educational setting: 79% were in private schools and 21% were homeschooled.

· Priority tier: 31% were between 200 and 500% of the FPL, 30% were at or below 200% FPL; 23% were at 500% or above FPL; 11% had a disability plus were at 500% FPL or below; and 5% were at or above 500% FPL and enrolled in a public school last year

· Grade level: Pre-K students accounted for 20,975 of the applications with kindergarten students making up 15,777 of the applications.

· Student applications submitted by Education Service Center Region: 38,365 applications were received from the Houston ESC Region 4, the most of any of the 20 regions listed.

The data is preliminary and will change as more families apply. Not every family who applies will ultimately participate in the program.

After applications close, the Comptroller’s office will allocate funding to eligible families through a lottery that prioritizes students with disabilities and students in low- and middle-income families.

The Comptroller’s office will report the waitlist to the Texas Legislature to determine funding for future years.

“We’re expecting to sell out in year one,” Hancock said. “We are also laying a strong foundation for school choice in Texas to flourish for years to come.”

More than 2,200 schools have signed up to participate. Families do not need to select a school when they apply, and more schools will join the program on a rolling basis.