Texas, Florida face pushback over efforts to exclude Islamic schools from school voucher programs
Source: The Hill
03/15/26 6:00 AM ET
Texas and Florida are facing criticism and potential legal challenges over moves to exclude Islamic schools from their school voucher programs. Both states have tried to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest U.S. Muslim advocacy group, as a foreign terrorist organization, despite it lacking a criminal conviction or any similar federal categorization.
And now, GOP efforts to expand school choice options are running directly into what critics say is a rising wave of Islamophobia. In Texas, around two dozen Islamic schools have been left out of the school choice program over potential connections to CAIR. And Florida is looking to pass legislation that, if signed into law, would stop schools with ties to CAIR from participating in its program.
The schools targeted by Texas Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock allegedly were accredited by Cognia and hosted events organized by CAIR, which Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has declared a terrorist group. Those in favor of the move say it is not about religion. “What is going on is this has nothing to do with religion or freedom of religion.
This has everything to do with ensuring that in no way is Texas providing financial support to entities tied to or a part of terrorist organizations or hostile foreign nations like the Communist Party of China,” said Mandy Drogin, senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The position has led to two federal lawsuits filed against Texas by Muslim parents and private schools who argue the state has “systematically targeted Islamic schools for exclusion.” And whether all these schools even have ties to CAIR is a matter of debate.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5783162-texas-florida-face-pushback-over-efforts-to-exclude-islamic-schools-from-school-voucher-programs/
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