Texas families began receiving money from the state's $1 billion private school voucher program this summer, with another round arriving in October. The funds can pay for books, school supplies, tutoring, therapy, enrichment activities, approved indoor playground memberships and transportation services. Some critics have questioned how broadly the program was written.
Lupita Reyes of Dallas said her family received about $10,400 per child and used some of it on Odyssey, the online marketplace for participating families. She said she bought an artist's easel for her 7-year-old son that costs more than $100. "It takes away the worry," Reyes said.
As of Oct. 5, families had spent more than $270 million through the program, including nearly $50 million on the online marketplace, according to the Texas Comptroller's Office. At a recent Senate Education Committee hearing, state Sen. José Menéndez, a San Antonio Democrat, asked how the marketplace works. Travis Pillow, who oversees the program for the Comptroller's Office, said everything on the platform has been reviewed to confirm it meets the law and is an eligible education expense.