Texas School Voucher Program Accused of Excluding Islamic Institutions
Texas's new private school funding scheme is already facing legal challenges. The Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, launched in 2025 as the largest of its kind in the US, now confronts a lawsuit alleging religious discrimination. A parent has taken action after his children's Islamic school was excluded from the list of approved institutions.
The TEFA program offers families up to $10,000 per child in education savings accounts (ESAs) to spend on private schooling. By March 2026, Texas had approved 1,057 private schools for participation. However, schools were rejected if they lacked proper accreditation, failed financial checks, or did not meet licensing standards.
Mehdi Cherkaoui, a parent and attorney, filed the lawsuit on behalf of his two children. They attend Houston Qur'an Academy Spring, an Islamic private school denied entry to TEFA. The lawsuit claims the exclusion targets Islamic schools while allowing Christian institutions to join.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton previously issued an opinion permitting the exclusion of schools linked to terrorist groups or foreign adversaries. This policy has led to the rejection of all accredited Islamic schools in the state. Some Christian schools and those serving students with disabilities have also been barred for using the same accreditor as certain Islamic institutions.
About 75% of US private schools have religious affiliations, making them major beneficiaries of such funding schemes. Yet, despite hundreds of Christian schools gaining approval, no Islamic school has been accepted into TEFA.
The lawsuit highlights tensions over religious fairness in Texas's school choice program. With no Islamic schools currently approved, the case could shape future eligibility rules. The outcome may also affect how similar programs handle religious institutions nationwide.
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