Dallas ISD finished the first funding round with 2,645 participating students, second only to Houston ISD in the state. Across the Region 10 service-center area, which covers Dallas, Collin, Rockwall, Kaufman and Ellis counties and several counties farther east and north, parents reported 14,342 funded students as of July 29, 2026. Denton County reports through Region 11, so its families are counted there.
The dollar amount is pegged at 85% of average state and local spending per public school student. That works out to $10,474 for 2026-27, the same in first grade as in twelfth. The money never passes through the family: the school is paid through Odyssey, the company the Comptroller hired to run the platform, in installments of 25% on July 1, 25% on October 1 and 50% on February 1. Any balance carries forward to the next year while the student stays enrolled in the program.
The year-one pool was $1 billion, set by Senate Bill 2 in 2025. Roughly 274,000 students applied statewide, 85,344 accounts were funded by late July, and more than 121,000 eligible students were left on the waitlist. The Comptroller's demographic report found that 80% of participants come from households below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Next year's line is set by statute. Students already in the program and in good standing continue. Brothers and sisters of participants are placed first among new applicants. Everyone else, including waitlisted families, files a new application when the Comptroller announces 2027-28 dates.
Funded TEFA students by Dallas-area district
| District of residence | Funded students (Jul 29, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Dallas ISD | 2,645 |
| Plano ISD | 1,140 |
| Garland ISD | 1,021 |
| Northwest ISD | 768 |
| Richardson ISD | 752 |
| Denton ISD | 688 |
| Irving ISD | 608 |
| Lewisville ISD | 580 |
| Frisco ISD | 545 |
| McKinney ISD | 478 |
| Mesquite ISD | 477 |
| Forney ISD | 405 |
| Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD | 360 |
| Wylie ISD | 355 |
Source: TEFA Annual Demographic Report (Texas Comptroller), parent-reported district of residence, data as of July 29, 2026. The Region 10 (Richardson) service-center area, which excludes Denton County (Region 11) total was 14,342.
Combining it with other sources
Few Dallas families pay with one source alone. This one generally stacks with a school's own discounts and need-based aid and with at least one other source on our funding list, and the funding check lays out the combination that fits your child.