Judge orders Texas to extend private-school voucher deadline amid Islamic schools lawsuit

A federal judge ordered Texas to extend the private-school voucher application deadline to March 31 after Muslim parents and Islamic schools sued claiming religious discrimination by excluding Islamic schools from the program. The order blocks the state from deciding which families receive vouchers while the case proceeds, with a late-April hearing planned. Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock had prevented Islamic schools from participating over claimed ties to foreign terrorist organizations, a label CAIR—designated by Gov. Abbott as terrorist—disputes. The program involves about $1 billion in funding and uses a lottery to distribute money to eligible students, with data showing most applicants come from private or home schooling; enrollment steps and disability/poverty-based funding rules are outlined, and officials planned to release final data later in the week. Enrollment windows close July 15 for student enrollment and July 31 for private schools to confirm enrollment.