Texas
Texas school voucher applications open today: What families need to know before applying
HOUSTON – Texas families can begin applying today, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m., for the state’s new Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), also known as the school voucher program, which runs through March 17.
State officials said that this is not first-come, first-served, but parents and guardians should have key documents ready before they start the application.
While the window is open now, if the number of applicants exceeds available funding, capped at roughly $1 billion, the state will prioritize applicants based on income and special-needs status. It may conduct a lottery to allocate funds.
Here’s what families should prepare before applying online:
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Valid ID and Social Security numbers for parents and children — proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful residence is also required.
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Income documentation, such as recent tax returns, because it is partially determined by household income.
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Documentation of special needs (like an IEP) if applying under that category.
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A plan for where the voucher money will go — funds are sent directly to registered schools or providers, not to families.
Families whose applications are approved can receive up to about $10,400 per student, with higher amounts, up to around $30,000, available for students with documented special needs.
About 1,600 private schools across Texas, including many in the Houston area, have already opted in to participate, and families must select one eligible school in the portal if they plan to use the funds for private education.
State officials say the application should take about 10 minutes to complete, and the portal will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on March 17.
Award notifications are expected beginning in early April, and initial funding for approved families will be available starting July 1 for the 2026-27 school year.
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More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.
A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.
Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.
Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.
“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”
Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.
The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.
Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.
Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.
“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”
Up next
Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).
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