Texas Education Freedom Award celebrates most expansive ESA in the nation
AUSTIN, TX – On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, eleven diverse award-winning education providers were honored with substantial financial investments to support the expansion of their nationally recognized models across the state.
An initiative of the Yass Prize, the Texas Education Freedom Award was created to accelerate the growth of new opportunities for students and meet the growing demand from families seeking better options in the Lone Star State when the new Education Savings Account program is fully operational for the next school year.
Hosted by Yass Prize leadership in partnership with the University of Austin (UATX), the awards dinner featured the leading champion of the Education Savings Account Program, Governor Greg Abbott, UATX President Carlos Carvalho, Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, Chair of the House Committee on Public Education Brad Buckley, Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock and numerous civic and business leaders.
“We are so grateful for the hard work of Governor Abbott and the fearless Texas officials and civic leaders who have fought to provide such important choices to underserved families,” said Yass Prize co-founder Janine Yass. “And we are beyond proud to support these outstanding Yass Prize alumni. For us, the Texas Education Freedom Award is truly about freedom – freedom to create the best and most innovative education possible, freedom to lead, to teach and for parents to choose what is best for their own child.”
The 11 Texas Education Freedom Award winners are (full description of each and expansion plans can be found at https://yassprize.org/texas-award-for-education-freedom/)
- ASU Preparatory Academy of Phoenix, AZ
- Build UP of Birmingham, AL
- Cafe Momentum of Dallas, TX
- Cristo Rey Network, with 40 faith-based schools throughout the country
- Families Empowered of Texas
- KaiPod Learning, based in Newton, MA, serving students in multiple states
- Leading Little Arrows of Arlington, TX
- Neighborhood Schools of Houston, TX
- Partnership Schools of Cleveland, OH
- Primer Microschools, based in Miami, FL, serving students in multiple states
- RISE Hybrid Private Academy, serving students nationally
“Texas has seized on the increasing parent power movement and these incredible education leaders will contribute to the already rich Texas education landscape in offering a variety of incredible learning opportunities for students,” said Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, which powers the Yass Prize. “We can’t wait to work with them and see them flourish.”
For more information about the Yass Prize and its impressive roster of awardees, please visit yassprize.org
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About the Yass Prize
The $1 million Yass Prize, powered by the Center for Education Reform in partnership with Forbes, has since 2021 worked to find, reward, celebrate, and expand best-in-class education organizations for every sector. Learn more at yassprize.org
