Summary
- Sarah Eckhardt said on Nov. 4 that she would implement Texas’ school voucher law and allow eligible Islamic and other religious schools to participate.
- Texas Education Freedom Accounts provide $10,474 for private school students, up to $30,000 for eligible students with disabilities, and $2,000 for homeschoolers.
- Eckhardt takes office in January 2027 as scrutiny continues over participating schools, their affiliations, and the educational materials they use.
With a Democrat set to take office as Texas comptroller in 2027, incoming comptroller Sarah Eckhardt has vowed to ensure Islamic schools and other religious schools are not blocked from receiving taxpayer-funded school vouchers.
During a Nov. 4 press conference, Eckhardt said she would ensure that Islamic schools and other religious schools could receive funding through the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program.
“I am not a fan of this policy,” Eckhardt said. “However, it is a policy that has passed the Texas Legislature, and it is the law. So, as the comptroller, I will implement it, because it is the law.”
Eckhardt did not respond to a request for comment by publication.
What Are Texas Education Freedom Accounts?
The Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program was established through Senate Bill 2 in 2025. It allows eligible families to use state-funded education accounts to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and other approved educational services.
The program is administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. For the 2026-27 school year, it provides $10,474 annually for students attending participating private schools, up to $30,000 for eligible students with disabilities, and up to $2,000 for homeschooled students.
Not every private school in Texas is eligible for funding through the program. Participating private schools must meet state accreditation requirements, have operated a campus for at least two years, and administer nationally norm-referenced assessments to participating students in grades three through 12.
Islamic schools are not categorically prohibited from the TEFA program. However, some Islamic schools in the state have faced scrutiny over their eligibility.
Islamic Schools Face Pressure Under School Choice Program
Several Islamic schools initially encountered delays in receiving approval from the Texas Comptroller’s Office. Some Islamic schools and Muslim parents subsequently filed lawsuits alleging religious discrimination earlier this year.
State officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and the comptroller’s office, defended the delays, citing concerns of accreditation and compliance. Those concerns included questions about potential connections between certain Islamic schools and organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which Abbott designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Texas law in November 2025.
In March 2026, a federal judge intervened, ordering the state to allow the schools to apply to the program. Four Islamic schools were subsequently admitted: Excellence Academy in McKinney, Bayaan Academy, Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland, and Houston Quran Academy in Katy.
Eckhardt’s comments indicate that she intends to ensure Islamic schools are not categorically excluded from the program as additional schools seek approval.
However, the prospect of taxpayer-funded vouchers being used at Islamic schools has raised questions about the institutions receiving public funding and the educational materials they use.
Concerns Raised Over Islamic Schools
Amy Mek, founder and editor-in-chief of RAIR Foundation USA, has repeatedly warned residents and elected officials about Islamic schools in Texas. Mek wrote on X that “the school voucher program is being hijacked.”
One of the schools highlighted in the debate is Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland, which describes itself as “a model Islamic educational institution” with a mission to “develop practicing Muslim leaders.”
According to a March 2026 report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Brighter Horizons Academy has received nearly $1 million from the Islamic Development Bank, a multilateral financial institution in which Iran “has a 7% voting share.”
The report also alleged that members of the bank have “purportedly engaged in corruption, covered up money laundering operations, assisted Iran and its proxy Hezbollah to avoid U.S. sanctions, and supported Islamist terrorist organizations.”
A separate report by Sam Westrop at the Middle East Forum alleged that Brighter Horizons Academy was established and staffed by individuals with connections to Hamas-linked organizations.
The report identified Rasmi Almallah as the academy’s founder and stated that he previously served on the board of the Holy Land Foundation. Almallah was also listed by federal prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case.
Questions have also been raised about the curriculum used at the academy.
The Middle East Forum reported that Brighter Horizons is a subsidiary of the Islamic Services Foundation (ISF), which it described as a leading islamist curriculum publisher that produces and distributes textbooks to private schools across the country.
The foundation’s curriculum includes publications such as “I Love Islam,” “Learning Islam,” and “Living Islam,” several of which teach negative views of those not practicing Islam.
For instance, “I Love Islam: Level 2” states: “Those who reject (truth), among the People of the Book and among the pagans, will be in the Hellfire, to stay there. They are the worst of creatures.”
In the foundation’s textbook “Iman: The Heart of Life,” it interprets scripture about non-believers and stresses the importance of jihad.
“These verses describe the attitude of believers when they spare no efforts for the sake of jihad, striving hard in God’s cause. When Muslims gave up jihad, did not abide by God’s will, started fighting among themselves and were submissive in the face of their enemies, God caused them to suffer greatly by allowing them to be dominated by those who do not fear Him or have any mercy for Islam,” it reads.
Brighter Horizons Academy did not respond to a request for comment by publication.
The Texas Comptroller’s Office has not announced application dates for the 2027-28 school year. Private schools currently apply to participate in the program on a rolling basis.
Eckhardt will be sworn in as Texas comptroller on Jan. 19, 2027, and her term ends in January 2031.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
