AUSTIN — Texas students and families will see several new state education policies take effect as the 2026-27 school year begins, including the launch of the state’s first school choice program and a new graduation requirement, according to state officials and legislative records.
The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, created under Senate Bill 2, is set to formally launch this school year after Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law. Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock finalized the administrative rules governing the program, which the Comptroller’s office said were shaped by more than 300 public comments and clarify income-based prioritization for applicants. Under the finalized rules, the program provides more than $10,000 annually for eligible private-school students, up to $30,000 for students with disabilities, and up to $2,000 for other participating students, including homeschoolers. Online applications for families opened Feb. 4, 2026, ahead of the new school year.
Abbott’s office has called the program the largest day-one school choice launch in the country, citing $1 billion in funding allocated for the 2026-27 school year. President Trump voiced support for the legislation when it passed, posting that its passage was a “gigantic Victory for students and parents in the Great State of Texas.”
Separately, the Texas Education Agency will require incoming high school freshmen to complete a new standalone personal financial literacy course under House Bill 27, which lawmakers said separates the requirement from the state’s existing economics course. Under the new graduation requirements, students must complete one-half credit in personal financial literacy in addition to one credit in economics, world geography, or world history. The TEA has said it will provide free curriculum materials to districts, and Advanced Placement courses covering similar material may be used to satisfy the requirement.
Students will also continue to navigate a phased-in restriction on personal electronic devices during the school day. House Bill 1481 requires schools to prohibit the use of cellphones, smartwatches, tablets, and other communication devices during instructional hours, a policy Abbott signed into law during the 89th Legislative Session.
On testing, the TEA confirmed that third- through 12th-grade students will continue taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, through the 2026-27 school year. Lawmakers directed the agency to begin piloting new exam questions statewide as part of a broader push, with bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, saying the changes are intended to reduce test-related anxiety and give students and teachers more frequent feedback throughout the year.
Districts are also continuing to implement discipline policy changes under House Bill 6, passed during the 89th Legislative Session, which expanded teacher authority to remove disruptive students from the classroom, expanded in-school and out-of-school suspension options, and created a new virtual expulsion program for certain offenses.
Families with questions about how these changes affect their district are encouraged to contact their local school district’s office directly, as some of the more than 800 laws passed during the legislative session allow for local implementation variation.
