Listen to this article as a 6-minute podcast episode, or read on. Hosts Marcus and Dana are AI-generated voices.
If you are a San Antonio parent trying to decide whether Texas's new Education Freedom Accounts are worth chasing for next school year, the first hard numbers are now public. The Texas Comptroller's first annual demographic report counts who actually received money in the program's first year, district by district. For San Antonio, the picture is clear: this region was one of the heaviest users of the program in the state.
The headline numbers
The report is a snapshot taken on July 29, 2026. On that date, 85,344 Texas students had funded accounts. More than 274,000 applications came in during the first window, more than 248,000 students were found eligible, and more than 121,000 were still on the year-one waiting list. The Comptroller called it the largest school choice waiting list in the country.
Families in the Education Service Center Region 20 area, which covers San Antonio and the surrounding counties, held 10,495 of those funded accounts. Only the Houston and Richardson regions had more.
District by district
The report lists participating students by the district where they live, as reported by their parents. Three Texas districts stood above all others: Houston ISD with 3,327, Dallas ISD with 2,645 and Northside ISD in San Antonio with 2,271. Northside is the area's largest district, so a big count is expected, but third in the state is still notable.
The rest of the San Antonio area looked like this on July 29:
- North East ISD: 1,536
- San Antonio ISD: 972
- Comal ISD: 878
- Judson ISD: 716
- Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD: 444
- East Central ISD: 411
- Boerne ISD: 351
- Medina Valley ISD: 318
- New Braunfels ISD: 314
- Southwest ISD: 266
- Seguin ISD: 217
Smaller counts came from Edgewood ISD (167), South San Antonio ISD (144), Harlandale ISD (131), Bandera ISD (104) and Southside ISD (89), among others. You can see the special-education amounts for each of these districts on our IEP table.
Who these families are
Statewide, the report says about 80% of participating students come from households below 200% of the federal poverty level, and almost a quarter have a qualifying disability. That follows from how the law was written: when applications outran the money, students with disabilities in households up to 500% of the poverty level were selected first, followed by lower-income households.
There is another number San Antonio parents should know. Axios San Antonio reported in August that, according to Comptroller information obtained through a public records request, about 70% of participants had previously been in private school or homeschool. In other words, most first-year accounts went to families who were already paying for a private option. That's not surprising in a first year, because families already in private school knew the program was coming and had a school lined up.
What it means for the 2027-28 cycle
If your child was not funded this year, three things matter.
You have to apply again. Students who were not awarded do not carry over. The Comptroller has not yet published 2027-28 dates, and the amount of money available will depend on the Legislature, which convenes January 12, 2027.
The line changes in year two. The state's families page lays out the order for later years: siblings of children already in the program come first, then new eligible applicants, then former participants returning from public or charter school. Within each group, the year-one priority tiers still apply. If you have an older child who was funded this year, a younger sibling who applies in the same window is in the strongest position.
The paperwork is where people got stuck. About 25,500 year-one applicants were found ineligible. The most common reasons were pre-K applicants who didn't meet the pre-K criteria, income that couldn't be confirmed, citizenship or lawful presence that couldn't be confirmed, and Texas residency that couldn't be confirmed. Getting your documents in order now costs nothing.
What it means for San Antonio schools
Districts are watching too. Northside ISD's early enrollment count this fall was down nearly 2% from a year earlier, and a district spokesperson told Axios the change reflected demographic shifts and new options such as TEFA. Northside also launched its own virtual academy this year. It is too early to say how much of any change is due to the program, and the article made that point as well.
On the private side, demand is concentrated. Catholic schools, large Christian schools and established independent schools filled some grades early. Smaller church academies and microschools have had more room. If you're planning for next fall, apply to the school at the same time you apply to the state, because an award doesn't hold a seat.
How to use these numbers
Your district's count tells you how many neighbors are already in the program, and maybe which schools they chose. It doesn't change your own odds, which depend on your tier and the lottery. What you can control is having a shortlist of participating schools, current documents, and a plan for paying for school if you end up on the waiting list again.
Our San Antonio school directory shows which schools were in the state finder when we last checked, alongside their federal enrollment records. If you want help building a plan, the funding check takes two minutes.
Episode transcript
Marcus: Welcome to the San Antonio Education Funding podcast. I'm Marcus.
Dana: And I'm Dana. Today: the first real numbers on Texas Education Freedom Accounts, and what they say about San Antonio.
Marcus: So the state finally published who actually got the money?
Dana: It did. The Texas Comptroller put out its first annual demographic report. It's a snapshot taken on July 29, 2026, and it counts funded students district by district.
Marcus: Start with the big picture. How many families are we talking about?
Dana: On July 29, 85,344 Texas students had funded accounts. More than 274,000 applied in the first window, more than 248,000 were found eligible, and more than 121,000 were still on the waiting list.
Marcus: 121,000 waiting. That's a lot of families.
Dana: The Comptroller called it the largest school choice waiting list in the country.
Marcus: And where does San Antonio land?
Dana: Near the top. Families in the Region 20 area, which covers San Antonio and the surrounding counties, held 10,495 funded accounts. Only the Houston and Richardson regions had more.
Marcus: What about individual districts?
Dana: Three districts stood above everyone else in Texas. Houston ISD with 3,327, Dallas ISD with 2,645, and Northside ISD right here in San Antonio with 2,271.
Marcus: Third in the whole state. Northside is big, but that's still notable.
Dana: It is. And the rest of the area wasn't far behind. North East ISD had 1,536. San Antonio ISD had 972. Comal ISD had 878, and Judson ISD had 716.
Marcus: What about the suburbs and the Hill Country?
Dana: Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City had 444, East Central 411, Boerne 351, Medina Valley 318, New Braunfels 314, Southwest ISD 266 and Seguin 217.
Marcus: So who are these families? Is it mostly people who were already in private school?
Dana: Two numbers matter. Statewide, about 80% of participating students come from households below 200% of the federal poverty level, and almost a quarter have a qualifying disability.
Marcus: That follows from how the law set priorities, right?
Dana: Right. When applications outran the money, students with disabilities in households up to 500% of the poverty level were picked first, then lower-income households.
Marcus: And the other number?
Dana: Axios San Antonio reported in August that about 70% of participants had previously been in private school or homeschool.
Marcus: So most first-year accounts went to families already paying for a private option.
Dana: Mostly, yes. Those families knew it was coming and already had a school lined up. Not surprising for a first year.
Marcus: Okay, the practical part. If my child wasn't funded this year, what should I know for 2027-28?
Dana: Three things. First, you have to apply again. Students who weren't awarded don't carry over, and the Comptroller hasn't published the next dates yet.
Marcus: And the Legislature decides how much money there is.
Dana: Exactly. It convenes January 12, 2027. Second, the line changes in year two. Siblings of children already in the program come first, then new eligible applicants, then former participants coming back from public or charter school.
Marcus: So if my older kid got funded this year, my younger one is in a strong spot.
Dana: The strongest spot, if they apply in the same window. Third, the paperwork. About 25,500 year-one applicants were found ineligible.
Marcus: For what?
Dana: The most common reasons were pre-K applicants who didn't meet the pre-K criteria, and income, citizenship or lawful presence, or Texas residency that couldn't be confirmed.
Marcus: Which means getting documents in order now costs you nothing.
Dana: That's the point.
Marcus: Are the school districts feeling this?
Dana: They're watching. Northside ISD's early enrollment count this fall was down nearly 2% from a year earlier. A district spokesperson told Axios that reflected demographic changes and new options like the accounts. Northside also launched its own virtual academy.
Marcus: But nobody can say yet how much is the program.
Dana: Right, it's too early, and the article said so too.
Marcus: And on the private school side?
Dana: Demand is concentrated. Catholic schools, large Christian schools and established independent schools filled some grades early. Smaller church academies and microschools had more room.
Marcus: So apply to the school at the same time you apply to the state.
Dana: Yes, because an award doesn't hold a seat.
Marcus: Last question. What should a San Antonio parent do with these numbers?
Dana: Your district's count tells you how many neighbors are already in. It doesn't change your odds. What you control is a shortlist of participating schools, current documents, and a plan if you're waitlisted again.
Marcus: And our school directory shows which schools were in the state finder when you last checked.
Dana: The link is in the description, along with a two-minute funding check.
Marcus: Thanks for listening, San Antonio.
Dana: See you next time.