The Heritage Foundation has released the latest version of its Education Freedom Report Card, and the Lone Star State is not faring particularly well.

Texas fell seven spots overall from 2023, and now sits at fifteenth in the rankings, which is not ideal but still leaves the state in a comparatively good position. However, it ranks in the bottom half of states for “education choice,” falling one spot from 2023 and now sits 31st among the states. Neighboring states Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma all sit in the top ten states according to this metric, at numbers five, eight, and seven, respectively.

“Texas does fairly well in empowering families to choose among charter schools but could do much more to expand education choice,” the report card notes. “Texas could improve its ranking by enacting a K–12 education savings account (ESA) policy, making it easier for more charter schools to open and operate, and giving families more choices among traditional public schools beyond their assigned school.”

Copious empirical research on school choice programs such as ESAs makes clear these programs offer families improved access to high-quality schools that meet their children’s unique needs and circumstances, and that these programs improve academic performance and attainment while delivering a quality education at lower cost than traditional public schools.

Additionally, education choice benefits public school students and taxpayers by increasing competition, decreasing segregation, and improving civic values and practices. Research also shows students at private schools are less likely than their public school peers to experience problems such as alcohol abuse, bullying, drug use, fighting, gang activity, racial tension, theft, vandalism, and weapon-based threats. There is also a strong causal link suggesting private school choice programs improve the mental health of participating students.

Not only are education choice programs good policy, they are also broadly popular. The Texas Trends 2024 survey of 2,300 Texans, commissioned by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University and released in late July, found 69 percent of Texans support the adoption of a universal ESA program in the Lone Star State. That includes support from 74 percent of Republicans, 73 percent of independents, 61 percent of Democrats, 73 percent of black Texans, 72 percent of Hispanic Texans, 77 percent of low-income Texans, 77 percent of Millennials, and 74 percent of Gen Z.

Backing up Texas Trends 2024 is EdChoice’s “Public Opinion Tracker,” last updated on September 10, which finds 67 percent of all Texas adults and 72 percent of parents with school-aged children in favor of ESA programs.

Further, a universal ESA program is sorely needed in Texas because the state’s public schools are habitually failing children. In 2022, only 38 percent of Texas’ public school fourth-graders and 24 percent of eighth-graders tested “proficient” to grade level in mathematics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) examination, colloquially known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” Just 30 percent of fourth-graders and 23 percent of eighth-graders tested “proficient” in reading. Essentially, and embarrassingly, the state’s public schools are failing to educate roughly seven out of 10 Texas children to grade-level proficiency in reading and math.

The goal of public education in Texas today and in the years to come should be to allow all parents to choose which schools their children attend, require every school to compete for every student who walks through its doors, and make sure every child has the opportunity to attend a quality school that best fits their unique needs and circumstances. There has not been a time when providing these opportunities has been more urgent and more needed than right now.

Unfortunately, the school choice wave is threatening to pass Texas by, and the Lone Star State now trails neighboring Arkansas, Louisiana, as well as Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and a host of other states when it comes to providing education freedom to its residents.

Simply put, states with robust and expansive school choice programs will be more attractive to families who have the ability to migrate to the state of their choosing. How many will decide against moving to Texas because it doesn’t offer their children the opportunity to attend the school that best suits their educational needs? Legislators should recognize this and enact ESAs, allowing all current and future Texans as many options as possible to get their children the education they need and deserve.

Heartland Impact can send an expert to your state to testify or brief your caucus; host an event in your state; or send you further information on a topic. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance! If you have any questions or comments, contact Cameron Sholty, at csholty@heartlandimpact.org or 312/377-4000.