By Gov. Jeb Bush, Chairman, ExcelinEd
This op-ed originally appeared in The 74
After decades of debating private school choice, Texas has delivered a monumental victory for its students and families. With the passage of a $1 billion education savings account (ESA) program, Texas joins a growing list of states giving parents real power to customize their children’s education. But this is more than just a win for Texas families — it is a moment of national significance that can reshape how ESA programs work across the country.
Over the past few years, the education choice movement has taken off, with states from Arizona to Florida to Iowa launching or expanding ESA programs that allow parents to direct funding for their children’s education toward schooling environments, services or products that meet their needs. Texas’ program, which will launch in the 2026-27 school year, is the largest new investment in this idea to date. It couldn’t come at a more critical time.
The strength of Texas’ new program lies not just in its size, but in its potential to drive innovation. Managing ESAs at scale is no small task. As more families gain access to these accounts, states are realizing that approving every expenditure on educational products, services and vendors one by one may not be sustainable. Parents need programs that are efficient, transparent and flexible — more like managing a health savings account than applying for a grant every time they want to buy a math workbook.
Texas has the chance to lead the way by adopting a debit card model where parents use secure accounts linked to approved expense categories instead of an endless string of applications and approvals. Think about how a health savings account debit card works to pay for everything from a doctor’s visit to a pharmacy prescription. On the back end, that system uses codes to categorize eligible purchases. A similar system for education that categorizes tutoring, curriculum, therapies, classes and more would make it dramatically easier for parents to navigate their options without compromising accountability.
