My Brother Finally Has School Choice. Gina Hinojosa Wants to Take It Away

Governor Greg Abbott fought to give families like mine education freedom. This November, it’s on the ballot. 
 
By: Destiny Alvarez 

As a Texan, I know exactly what's at stake in this year's race for governor. My brother is one of the thousands of students who finally has access to a Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA), but Gina Hinojosa wants to take that opportunity away. 
 
I know firsthand what a difference school choice can make. I attended public school most of my life, but by high school, the environment had become increasingly difficult. After I was physically assaulted, my family felt strongly discouraged from pressing charges. I felt pressured to remain silent about that incident and other challenges I faced, including being belittled for holding beliefs different from those around me. I was no longer comfortable learning in this environment, where I should have been safe and supported.  
 
I knew I needed a change.  
 
When I transferred to a private school during my junior year of high school, my life changed forever. This positive experience affected every aspect of my life, including my friendships, academic performance, and spiritual growth. Being in an environment where I was supported and could grow as a person was something I deeply needed. But for my family, paying tuition was a significant financial burden. Even with a discount from the school, we struggled to make it work. 
 
Now, thanks to Texas' new school choice program, my younger brother has received a TEFA scholarship that will allow him to attend the same school I attended. Thanks to Greg Abbott, he has an opportunity we never thought possible. 
 
Governor Greg Abbott fought for years to bring real family empowerment to Texas. His opponent, Rep. Hinojosa, fought against it, and now says she wants to end Texas' new TEFA program if elected. 
 
For my family, this is not an abstract policy debate. It means telling my brother that his scholarship will be taken away. 
 
Last year, Abbott signed legislation creating the Texas Education Freedom Account program, backed by $1 billion and launched as the largest day-one school choice program in the country. The response was overwhelming: more than 274,000 students applied in its first year. 
 
That historic demand should have settled one argument: Texas families want school choice. 
 
But as families statewide are finally unlocking new educational opportunities, Hinojosa is promising to dismantle the program, falsely stating it’s a wealth subsidy and harms students with disabilities. 
 
Her claims couldn’t be further from the truth. TEFA is reaching the very students it was designed to prioritize, with low-income families making up the largest income group among participants. TEFA also serves a larger share of students with disabilities than Texas public schools – more than 18% of participating students have a qualified disability. 
 
TEFA’s success comes down to something simple: families know best, and they should decide what education works for them. 
 
Abbott understands that and has fought alongside Texas families and leaders in the State Legislature – like Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows – to deliver educational freedom. 
 
School choice is on the ballot in Texas this November, and it's time for voters to speak up once again by electing Greg Abbott – a leader who will continue to empower families and ensure greater opportunity for the next generation of Texans. 
 
- Destiny Alvarez is from Fort Worth, TX. Her family believes in the power of school choice, and her brother is a proud recipient of a Texas Education Freedom Account.