Hilda Galvan writes that education expands opportunity and Texas must evaluate new Education Freedom Accounts, addressing low performance, unequal funding...
Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the north steps of the State Capitol to supporters at a Texas Public Policy Foundation Parent Empowerment rally on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Austin. Now that Education Freedom Accounts are coming, Hilda C.
Galvan writes that they should be stringently evaluated.I grew up in one of the poorest school districts in Texas, where resources were scarce and expectations for students were often modest. But education opened doors that might otherwise have remained closed to me. That experience shaped a belief I still hold today: Access to a strong education can expand what is possible for any child, no matter where they start. That belief – and my experience – is not unique. Most of us would agree that education is one of the most powerful drivers of opportunity and economic mobility. Those benefits have been shown to extend beyond the individual to the broader community.If education has this kind of impact, then how Texas implements its newest education program matters. Education Freedom Accounts are no longer a proposal; they are happening. That makes honest, fact-based evaluation essential. That evaluation starts with an honest look at where Texas students are today. On the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, Texas ranked 37th in fourth-grade reading and 44th in eighth-grade reading nationally. For a state that prides itself on opportunity and economic growth, those numbers should be a wake-up call.Some schools have struggled for years to meet basic performance standards, forcing the Texas Education Agency to take control of entire districts. Many of these schools serve children growing up in poverty, where barriers to academic success are already high. Texas’ response is EFAs, a controversial new program. Launching in the 2026–2027 school year, EFAs allow eligible families — particularly those with lower incomes or children with disabilities — to use school funding for approved expenses outside their assigned public schools, including private tuition, tutoring and other educational services. Students who qualify for an EFA will receive about $10,000 for the 2026–27 school year, according to the TEA. Because the amount is based on a statewide average, students will receive roughly similar EFA funding regardless of where they live.Texas public schools are funded through a combination of local property taxes, federal dollars and state funding. Under the EFA program, a portion of the state funding associated with a student follows that student if the family chooses to leave their public school district. Because property values vary widely across the state, the mix of school funding varies as well. Districts with higher property values generate more revenue locally, while districts with lower property values receive a larger share of state funding to help close the gap. As a result, the financial impact of EFAs will not be the same everywhere. In Dallas ISD, 68.9% of school funding comes from local property taxes, 23.9% from federal funds and only 7.2% from the state. When a student leaves Dallas ISD, the district therefore loses only a small portion of its total funding. In districts with a smaller local property tax base, like El Paso ISD, where I grew up, state funds make up roughly 40% of the school budget. When a student leaves those districts, the financial impact is greater because the EFA amount represents a much larger share of the district’s overall funding. Honest evaluation of this program must include tracking how it affects districts like El Paso, where the financial stakes are greatest. But funding concerns cannot become a reason to defend an existing system that has struggled to serve its students. Property poor districts like El Paso are where families have waited the longest for better options. The question should not be whether to protect the status quo; it should be whether the new system delivers something better.Consider what EFA funding could mean for a student who wants to attend a school like Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep in Pleasant Grove, where I serve on the board of directors. Cristo Rey prepares students from families with limited financial means for college and careers through a corporate work-study program that provides professional experience alongside a college-preparatory education. An impressive 94% of the 2024 graduating class enrolled in colleges. For many students, schools like this open doors that might otherwise remain closed. Like any education policy, EFAs should be judged by results, not ideology. As Texas moves forward, the state should remain committed to accountability — measuring outcomes, protecting the public schools that serve the majority of Texas students and adjusting course if the evidence calls for it. If education truly is freedom, as many of us believe, then we owe it to our children — and to the future of Texas — to keep expanding access to high-quality education. Hilda C. Galvan is a Dallas attorney, former partner-in-charge of the Dallas office of Jones Day and a longtime North Texas business and civic leader.
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