Austin,TX – Texas jumped 15 spots, from #24 to #9, in the 2026 edition of the ALEC Index of State Education Freedom: a 50-State Guide to Parental Empowerment. These rankings are a detailed evaluation of how states are expanding parental choice and advancing universal education freedom. Texas’ jump in ranking is thanks to passage and funding of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and expansion of virtual education.

“It's great recognition of Texas' Public Education efforts by ALEC improving our ranking by a whopping 15 places up to number 9 in the country after our successful 2025 Legislative Session. This HUGE jump is credited to passage of SB 2 by Senator Creighton and Representative Buckley, establishing Texas Freedom Accounts, and SB 569, which I authored and sponsored by Keith Bell, which expanded virtual education in public schools, empowering students, parents, and teachers with the tools for success,” said Senator Paul Bettencourt.

Senate Bill 2, Authored by Senator Brandon Creighton and sponsored in the House by Representative Brad Buckley establishes ESAs for all Texas students, prioritizing low-income and disabled applicants if demand exceeds the 100,000-student cap. Participants receive $2,000 to $11,500 annually depending on educational setting and need, with strong safeguards for transparency and fraud prevention.

Representative Brad Buckley, Chair of the House Committee on Public Education, said “Texas is leading the way in education reform by implementing the largest, day-one school choice program in the country. Texas parents are now empowered to access the best education opportunities for their children, and the future looks bright.”

Senate Bill 569, Authored by Senator Paul Bettencourt and sponsored in the House by Representative Keith Bell, expands student access to advanced and dual-credit virtual courses, enabling faster graduation and the opportunity to earn an associate degree in high school. It protects family choice, teacher consent, and instructional quality through clear standards and accountability for virtual education providers.

"What we've done in Texas is to start the Largest ESA program in the United States and expand model virtual education opportunities both to 100k students in a few short years.” Senator Bettencourt continued. “All these programs will be BIG boosters to education attainment for our school children. Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, and Speaker Burrows all supported both of these critical pieces of legislation,” Bettencourt concluded.

Senator Paul Bettencourt is the ALEC State Senate Chair for Texas, along with State House Chair Representative Tom Oliverson, and ALEC national board members Senator Phil King and Representative Caroline Harris Davila.

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