Texas Democrats are gearing up to dismantle Gov. Greg Abbott’s $1 billion school voucher program after a wave of electoral victories, with one state lawmaker warning the initiative could soon be ‘unrecognizable, if not extinct.’
The program, signed into law by Abbott in May 2025, allowed roughly 110,000 Texas students to use taxpayer funds for private education. But with Democrats gaining ground in the state, key figures are now pushing to reverse the Republican governor’s education agenda.
Democrats Confident in Dismantling Vouchers
State Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), vice chair of the House education committee, told ProPublica he believes there’s a path to eliminate the program. ‘I guarantee that program is not going to be untouched, and it will be probably unrecognizable, if not extinct, by the time we’re done with it,’ Bernal said.
Bernal claimed some Republican colleagues had privately expressed reservations about the vouchers but felt pressured by leadership that has since been ousted. Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa (D), who won her race this week, has also pledged to reverse Abbott’s policies, including firing Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath.
Controversial Education Overhaul at Stake
The voucher program was part of a broader conservative education push that included a state board of education-approved curriculum emphasizing Texas history and Bible stories while reducing world history content. Abbott had framed the vouchers as empowering parents, declaring at the bill signing: ‘Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned by government.’
Nationally, school choice programs have expanded significantly, with Heritage Foundation data showing the number of students using private school options doubling from 600,000 to 1.2 million between 2020-2025. Former President Donald Trump bolstered the movement with a January 2025 executive order supporting parental choice in education.
But with Democrats now holding more power in Texas, the future of the state’s voucher program appears uncertain as lawmakers prepare for what could be a major education policy battle in the coming legislative session.
Source: www.breitbart.com โ https://www.breitbart.com/education/2026/11/07/report-democrats-may-force-texas-school-voucher-program-to-go-extinct/