James Mosteller is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
Texas made history in 2025.
Fueled by the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott and with support from a strong coalition of lawmakers, the Lone Star State passed one of the most ambitious education reform agendas in the country—putting families first and building momentum for years to come.
From launching the state’s first private school choice program to passing a sweeping public education package, Texas leaders showed a shared commitment to ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education regardless of income, ZIP code or learning style.
Here’s a look at the most impactful wins from Texas’ 2025 legislative session—and what comes next.
After years of advocacy and debate, Texas officially joined the growing number of states with universal education scholarship account (ESA) programs. Gov. Greg Abbott made school choice a top priority for this session, and leaders in the House and Senate delivered.
With the passage of SB 2, Texas created a universal ESA program—the 11th in the nation and one of the largest from day one. Set to launch in the 2026–2027 school year with a $1 billion investment, the program will prioritize low-income and special needs students, while remaining open to all families.
Families will be able to use the scholarship—more than $10,000 per student for most students— on a wide range of educational expenses, including private school tuition, textbooks, dual enrollment courses, therapies and more.
As ExcelinEd in Action’s Founder and Chairman Gov. Jeb Bush said, “This legislation puts students first and affirms that every child deserves access to a high-quality education tailored to their potential.”
This is a watershed moment for Texas and a turning point for families seeking more options and more opportunity.
In a major bipartisan effort, lawmakers also passed a sweeping education reform package (HB 2) that makes significant investments in literacy, math and the teacher pipeline.
This student-centered legislation includes:
These targeted investments are designed to move the needle on student outcomes and build a stronger, more sustainable teacher workforce.
Another important reform passed this session to reduce classroom distractions and improve student focus. Rep. Caroline Fairly’s HB 1481 establishes phone-free school days for public schools across Texas, with exceptions for medical and safety needs.
This commonsense measure reflects growing awareness—both in Texas and nationally—about the impact of personal devices on student attention and learning. By reducing distractions, schools can create more focused environments where students and teachers can more deeply engage and learn more effectively.
Not every education proposal made it over the finish line this year. HB 4, a measure to modify school accountability and assessments led by Rep. Brad Buckley, stalled in conference committee after meaningful debate between the House and Senate.
The bill as passed the House would have lowered expectations for student attainment by proposing the use of a norm-referenced test instead of a tool that measures student mastery of state standards.
The Senate’s substitute would have preserved high expectations while creating a new summative assessment with optional interim testing throughout the year. While the bill didn’t pass, discussions revealed a shared commitment to maintaining accountability while responding to concerns about over-testing.
This is an area to watch ahead of the 2027 session as lawmakers seek the right balance between rigor and meaningful assessments and school ratings.
With one of the largest ESA programs in the nation on the horizon, a robust package of public education reforms now law and student-focused policies continuing to take shape, Texas policymakers’ commitment to bold, family-first education policy is clear.
There’s still work to do—but the momentum is undeniable.
And as other states look to raise the bar on educational opportunity, Texas is showing what’s possible when leaders put students at the center of every decision.
