Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, told reporters Thursday that she and her team are "actively interviewing people" to replace Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. Morath was appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and has served in the role since 2016. Removing Morath was one of Hinojosa's campaign promises.
Hinojosa also made reversing Abbott's school voucher program a central part of her campaign. Watchdog groups estimate the $1 billion program has cost public schools about $300 million as students move to private schools.
Parents of disabled students who qualified for the program said it has been harder than expected to use vouchers at private schools, which are not required to enroll every applicant. Our Schools Our Democracy found that nearly a quarter of private schools accepting vouchers used students' religious preferences in admissions. Dee Carney, director of the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency, said eligibility does not mean access.