The program — which reserves one-fifth of the $1 billion budget for families making about $160,000 per year or more — will officially launch at the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The Texas House Public Education Committee passed a sweeping school finance proposal on Thursday, along with a bill that would create a program allowing parents to use public funds to pay for private schools.

Last school year, the average teacher in Texas made thousands of dollars less than teachers in other states. A nearly $5 billion bill filed Tuesday in the Legislature seeks to provide across-the-board raises and put more money toward bonuses.

House Speaker Dustin Burrows reappointed state Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Killeen) to lead the committee. Buckley tried to get school voucher legislation approved in 2023 but rural Republicans and Democrats blocked the effort.