Texas TEFA Applications Surge, Districts Brace for Impact

0:00Texas families got until midnight on March 31st to apply for the state's first educational savings accounts called TIFA. Over 230,000 applications poured in, more than two and a half times with the state budgeted. That means only about 100,000 kids will get picked through a lottery system. Big urban districts took the biggest hit on applications. Houston Independent School District saw over 11,000, Dallas around 8,000, and spots like Northside, Fort Bend, and Cypress Fairbanks. Each top 5,000. School funding ties to attendance, so these numbers could squeeze budgets hard, especially with deficits already in play. Superintendents are reacting different ways. Northside's leader called it expected but worrying, since even half those applicants winning could mean losing key attendance dollars. Meanwhile, Cypress Fairbanks seized the bright side, less than 1% of their 118,000 students applied, keeping most families. Data shows huge interest from preschool families, with nearly 26,000 pre-K applications

1:03topping all grades. Leaders think high-child care costs are driving that, as families eye the up to $10,000 for early education options. As the deadline hits, districts like Cypress Fairbanks stay confident they'll keep delivering top-notch public education, no matter who shifts to. Private pass. That's the story for today. El Paso News Today, driven by AI.