The numbers for El Paso
KTSM reported just under 4,400 applications from the El Paso region. On July 29, 2026, the Comptroller counted 1,810 funded students in Region 19. El Paso ISD residents held 862 accounts, Socorro ISD 462, Ysleta ISD 250, Canutillo ISD 109 and Clint ISD 88; together those five districts account for 1,771.
Fewer switchers than feared
KTSM reported that only 137 applicants had previously been enrolled at Ysleta ISD, under 1% of its students, and superintendent Xavier De La Torre pointed out that local private schools don't have much room to grow. That capacity limit is worth taking seriously when you apply.
What an account is worth here
$10,474 at a participating private school for 2026-27. With an IEP the total ranges from $16,714 for an El Paso ISD resident in a mainstream setting to more than $20,000 in Tornillo, Fort Hancock and Sierra Blanca. A homeschool account is $2,000.
Who was funded
Statewide, the money reached students with disabilities in households up to 500% of poverty and families at or below 200% of poverty. Almost no one above that line was funded unless a sibling qualified.
How the line forms for 2027-28
Children already in the program keep their accounts without reapplying. Their siblings are placed first, followed by new eligible applicants. Waitlisted families from 2026-27 should plan to apply again.
Do this before the window opens
Join the state interest list, keep your federal tax return handy for income verification, confirm the address on file is in Texas, and apply to two or three participating schools so a seat is waiting if the award comes.
Next step
The funding check takes about two minutes. Afterward an advisor reviews every source that applies to your family, from TEFA to diocesan aid and Child Care Services, along with the deadlines that matter.