School Choice in Texas: A Family Who Has Lived Both Sides
Updated: May 12
The other evening, my husband had the news playing in the background when the segment shifted to Texas school vouchers and the announcement that applications were now open.
He looked over and asked me, “Two thousand dollars to homeschool Harmoni. What are you doing?”
My answer?
“I don’t know.”
Of course, this conversation applies to both of our school-aged children, though the program prioritizes children with disabilities. TJ would qualify under one of the listed tiers.
The Texas school voucher program would allow families to use state education money, normally allocated to public schools, to help pay for alternative education options like private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, online programs, or other approved educational services. Instead of all public-school funding remaining within public schools, a portion would follow the student to the educational setting their parents choose.
That question led me into deep thought. Because we have lived more than one side of the school choice conversation. For our family, the decision has never been ideological. It has always been about season.
Public School
Both of our children began in public school starting in Pre-K.
TJ attended a dual language Pre-K where everything they learned in English, they also learned in Spanish. His teachers were wonderful, and he had a fantastic first year.
Harmoni attended a school that was incredibly supportive. At her ARD, decisions were made that she would have a para and be merged into an inclusive classroom environment for a four-hour AM schedule Monday through Thursday. Everyone did well by her.
But it was not long before her compromised immune system revealed itself. Being exposed to a high volume of germs daily took a toll. Her attendance became inconsistent because of how frequently she was getting sick. It seemed she was home with me more than she was in school.
TJ moved on to kindergarten at a new school. He made good grades and participated well. However, his energy level became a challenge in a system that required longer seated periods. His “color of the day” would be moved down because he struggled to sit still for extended stretches. A few days into first grade, we made the abrupt decision to pull him out.
What Public School Gave Us
Public school gave us structure, daily rhythm, and built-in services during seasons when those things were helpful. For Harmoni, access to a para, speech services, and inclusive settings created both academic and social growth. For TJ, it provided challenge and peer interaction that sharpened him in different ways.
The support she received in school was beneficial, but it was not the only path available. Had she not been enrolled, we would have pursued well-rounded private therapies to meet her needs. The value was not that the school could provide something we could not, but that it provided it within a structured environment during a time when that support system served us well.
Homeschooling
We felt the call to homeschool during Harmoni’s hospitalization while we were living in Colorado Springs and she was hospitalized in Aurora, nearly an hour and twenty minutes away. Her memory, mobility, and motor skills were affected. Rehabilitation became essential. It negatively impacted her when Dad and TJ were not nearby for support. Tristan went on FMLA, and we made the decision to pull TJ out of school.
After a two-month hospital stay, we relocated back south and continued homeschooling. What began as necessity became a five-year journey.
We did everything in this time with our children. Homeschool represented Freedom. Freedom to teach our children the way we saw fit, in our timing, in our way. The first year we homesteaded. Fishing, raising animals, growing food, maintaining land. The next four years we traveled the country full time because we could. Academically, we took a multimodal approach using workbooks, online programs, and apps.
Harmoni received virtual therapy (Physical Therapy, Speech, and Occupational Therapy). We would set up a camera, and the therapist would lead the activities while Harmoni worked through them with our hands-on support. It allowed her recovery to continue while we explored the country.
They received hands-on experiences to bring learning to life. We were able to enhance their education entirely because of the flexibility homeschooling in Texas allowed.
These were some of their most foundational years. And we were present for them.
What Homeschooling Gave Us
Homeschooling gave us flexibility, proximity, and ownership of pace. We could integrate therapy naturally, protect energy, and tailor learning to their wiring.
It was not reactive. It was deliberate. During that season, we had the margin and alignment to do it well. When done well, it provided a deeply personalized experience that extended beyond academics.
But homeschooling requires capacity. It requires health, consistency, and daily engagement. When those were strong, it flourished.
For that season, it was the right fit.
Current Day
Despite my internal desires to homeschool our children, simply for the freedom it allows to cultivate a learning experience specifically for them, we found ourselves re-enrolling our two oldest back into Public School following my health emergency. Dad made the sound judgment call to place Harmoni and TJ back in public school to better support me as I focus on restoring my health and give our toddler the one-on-one attention the older two once received.
At this time, Harmoni began 4th grade as TJ began 6th grade in one of the top school districts in the Greater Houston area.
Harmoni woke bright eyed and bushy tail daily to go to "work". She loved that place and the people in it. She was paired with the absolute best para and teacher we could have ever asked for.
She was placed in a limited mobility classroom where she functioned at a slightly higher level than her fellow classmates, making the transition from homeschooling to public school gentle. The academics were paced appropriately.
She received speech services and began learning to use a communication app. She was being integrated into inclusive environments such as gym and art classes very well. This showed when I would go to school events, the children that would help her and had built a bond with her due to this embraced her warmly.
TJ attended the neighboring middle school. Where he was challenged and learned to navigate the school system more and more as the year went on. Landing himself on the Honor Roll.
The year described above was their first year transitioning back into public school. It was a gentle re-entry, and in many ways, it felt like confirmation that we had made the right decision for that season.
This year looks different.
Both children are now in their second year back in public school, but in a new district and at new campuses. New environments always require adjustment.
Harmoni does not love this school nearly as much as the previous one. It is often a daily challenge getting her physically into the building. Transitions are hard for her. Change requires more from her. Yet, there are caring adults who are genuinely trying to do right by her. They know who her father is, as he serves as both assistant superintendent and middle school principal in the district, and that visibility carries its own weight. Even so, we have seen effort. We have seen intention. We have seen people trying.
It is not perfect. But it is not careless either.
TJ is now at the middle school where his dad serves as principal. On the surface, that sounds ideal. But being the principal’s son has come with its own set of challenges. There is constant visibility and little margin for mistakes without them being noticed. Expectations feel heavier.
And yet, he has risen.
He has persevered daily in every classroom. He has motivated others to do their best. He has participated fully. He has earned A/B Honor Roll for the past two grading cycles. He is a three-sport athlete. In January 2026, he became district champion at the UIL Modern Oratory competition. In February 2026, he was selected to be recognized before the school board for his achievements.
The microscope did not shrink him. It refined him.
So What About School Vouchers
The voucher conversation is not simply about money. It is about season and capacity.
For some families, financial assistance toward homeschooling or private school may create opportunity. It may reduce pressure.
But funding alone does not determine fit.
Two thousand dollars does not restore health. It does not create emotional bandwidth. It does not remove the daily responsibility of being the primary educator.
For us, the question has never been which system is superior. The question has always been what does this season require.
School vouchers may shift funding, but they do not remove the responsibility of discernment.
Questions Families Should Consider
Before making any schooling decision, especially in light of voucher programs, ask:
• Do we have the physical and emotional capacity to homeschool well right now?
• Does our child need services more easily accessed through public school?
• Would private school better align with our child’s academic, social, or spiritual needs?
• If considering private school, are we prepared for tuition beyond what a voucher may cover?
• Is flexibility our greatest need, or is structure?
• Is this sustainable beyond one year?
Schooling impacts the entire family rhythm. There is no universally superior choice. Only the choice that best fits your child and your current season.
A Conviction We Hold
Beneath every educational decision we have made is a deeper belief.
Children are a gift from the Lord. They are entrusted to us. We believe God specifically hand selected us to raise, love, discipline, and nurture the children He placed in our home.
That assignment is sacred.
Schools educate. Programs assist. Teachers support. But the responsibility to raise our children belongs first to us. It cannot be outsourced in full. It can be supported. It can be supplemented. But it cannot be surrendered.
During a child’s most impressionable years, groundwork is being laid. Identity is forming. Habits are repeated. Discipline requires consistency. Values require presence. That shaping happens most powerfully in the home.
Whether our children are homeschooled, in public school, or in private school, we remain their primary influence.
We do not take lightly that God entrusted these specific souls to our care.
Conclusion
When my husband asked, “Two thousand dollars to homeschool Harmoni. What are you doing?” my honest answer was, “I don’t know.”
Not because we lack conviction.
Not because we are uncertain about our children.
But because we have learned that schooling decisions are layered, seasonal, and rarely simple.
We have homeschooled faithfully.
We have enrolled in public school faithfully.
We have transitioned districts.
We have watched our children struggle.
We have watched them rise.
We have seen what flexibility can do.
We have seen what structure can do.
We have seen what pressure can refine.
School choice is not unchangeable. It is not a one-time decision. It is a continual evaluation of capacity, calling, health, and growth.
Some seasons require closeness.
Some require support systems.
Some refine our children in ways we would not have chosen but would not undo.
We have lived both sides. And when decisions are made thoughtfully and prayerfully, children can thrive in more than one setting.
The system matters.
But the stability of home matters more.
And so for now, we remain attentive to the season we are in, willing to pivot if necessary, and grateful for the ways our children continue to grow, even under pressure.
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