Voucher, but no school to spend it on. TX students with disabilities returned aid

The useful part

Ross believed a private school would better serve her 5-year-old son, who has autism. Affording tuition became possible after he was approved for a school voucher. That's why, as they toured First Baptist Academy in Dallas, her anticipation soared.

How it works

• "With more opportunity, comes more work, more heartbreak, more disappointment." Proponents believe private schools will proliferate and meet demand.
• Shundelon Ross hoped the seventh school would be the one to work.
• Accounts promised vouchers would give students with special needs options beyond public schools.
• Despite being awarded taxpayer-funded accounts, many families struggled to find a suitable school to spend it on.
• This means private education is still out of reach for Texas' most vulnerable children, critics of the voucher program say.

What to take from it

The comptroller's office, which oversees TEFA, plans to survey families to understand why they opted out, and their responses will inform the improvements made to the program, a spokesperson said. It's also possible parents were unaware of deadlines, considering public school, or moved out of state, he said.

Details worth keeping

Her son wandered the hallways, clutching his favorite stuffed animal. He stared, mesmerized, at the chickens pecking around the coop. After the visit came the application, then the admission decision.