The Texas legislature kicked off its 89th session this week and things are looking good for supporters of private schools. After a number of Republicans lost their primaries, their voucher-friendly replacements make it likely the state will pass voucher legislation.

At least a dozen states already have universal voucher programs, and many more states offer limited programs, according to the independent think tank FutureEd.

If the goal of vouchers is to improve access to education, a targeted voucher program — for low income or special needs students — could be beneficial, according to Rice University’s Chris Kulesza.

“Educational costs can be much higher for a child that has special needs, and local school districts oftentimes are grappling with how to be able to best provide support for those children,” he said.

That said, Kulesza’s research found that a universal voucher program — like the one touted by Texas Governor Greg Abbott — could lead to burdensome costs, like in Arizona where “the budget spiraled out of control.”

While older studies have shown benefits to funding private education, newer research shows the opposite, per Josh Cowen with Michigan State University and author of “The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers.”

In states like Louisiana and Indiana, students using vouchers performed worse academically. “If evidence meant anything in education, we just know this stuff doesn’t work,” said Cowen.

He added that often the kids who take advantage of these voucher programs are students who are already enrolled in private school to begin with.