Texas Comptroller Race Hinges on $1 Billion School Voucher Fund

The upcoming election for Texas comptroller centers on a single fiscal question: whether to double the budget for the state's school voucher program. Current Comptroller Don Huffines has proposed adding $1 billion to the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, or TEFA, during the 2028-29 biennium. This increase would more than double the fund's current size of $1 billion.

Huffines, who was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott this spring after winning the March Republican primary, cites high demand as the reason for the expansion. The state received more than 274,000 requests for TEFA funds. However, the program hit its funding cap, leaving over 100,000 students without full support. Huffines told the Texas Tribune in April that he views himself as "a champion" of the program and believes demand will "substantially increase."

Huffines argues that the legislation requires him to present a budget that includes every family on the waitlist. "The legislation that was passed requires the comptroller, the way I read it, to add to the budget everyone on the waitlist," Huffines said. "Now, the legislature doesn't have to fund it, but I'm supposed to present them a budget with everybody on the wait-list."

Sarah Eckhardt, a Democratic state senator and Huffines' leading opponent, opposes the immediate expansion. She argues that the program has not yet completed its first year of operation. "Whenever you start a new program, you don't start talking about doubling its funding before you've even gone through a single year of the new program," Eckhardt said. She emphasized the need to evaluate results before committing more state funds.

The comptroller's office holds significant power over state finances. Brent Boyea, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, explained that the role involves estimating state revenue and certifying budget funds. "They kind of figure out what the economic growth is going to be over the next couple of years," Boyea said. He noted that the office is designed to act as a check on overspending and ensure the budget remains balanced.

Eckhardt, who has served in elected office for 20 years, views the role as one of accountability. She believes the comptroller should assess how funds were spent and report to lawmakers on which groups benefited. "And then the legislature decides whether this experiment worked, didn't work or needs to be scuttled," she said. This approach contrasts with Huffines' strategy of proactive expansion.

Other candidates offer different perspectives on the voucher program. Green Party candidate Shehla Faizi, a podcaster from Irving, believes the $1 billion would have been better spent on public schools. She noted that 70% of TEFA recipients were already enrolled in private or home schools. Jim Hamill of Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business raised similar concerns about bias in the data. "If you ask them, how do you like the vouchers? They're going to say, we love them, because they've already made the decision to leave the public schools," Hamill said.

Faizi argued that the shift of taxpayer money to private institutions impacts public education. She stated that Texas public schools were already facing reduced funding and falling enrollment before TEFA began. "There's a lot of taxpayer money being used for that," Faizi said. "And it will most definitely have a negative impact on public schools and people who want to send their kids to public schools." Libertarian candidate V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza did not respond to interview requests.