A federal judge extended Texas' school voucher deadline to March 31, allowing Islamic schools to apply after a religious discrimination lawsuit.

A federal judge has extended Texas’ school voucher application deadline to March 31, ordering the state to allow Islamic schools to apply after a lawsuit challenged their exclusion as religious discrimination. The ruling stems from concerns that barring Islamic schools—citing links to groups like CAIR, which the state labels a terrorist organization despite no U.S. State Department designation—violates constitutional protections. Over 200,000 applications have already been submitted for the $1 billion program, exceeding available funds. The comptroller will use a lottery system to distribute vouchers, prioritizing low-income families and students with disabilities. The decision highlights ongoing legal and political debates over religious inclusion in public education funding.