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Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday signed legislation authorizing a private school voucher program into law, marking the grand finale of an oftentimes ugly conflict that has largely defined Texas politics this decade.

Senate Bill 2 will allow families to use public taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s education at an accredited private school or to pay for a wide range of school-related expenses, like textbooks, transportation or therapy. The program will be one of the largest school voucher initiatives in the nation.

“When I ran for reelection in 2022, I promised school choice for the families of Texas. Today, we deliver on that promise,” said Abbott during the bill’s signing before hundreds of applauding supporters gathered outside the Governor’s Mansion. “Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned by government. The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that’s best for their child.”

The law will go into effect on Sept. 1, with the program expected to launch in late 2026.

The law’s passage follows years of discord in the Legislature over school vouchers. The Democrats and rural Republicans who fought against it argued that the program would harm already-struggling public schools, a major employer for working families and a resource center for many Texas students — the majority of whom reside in low-income households.

“Remember this day next time a school closes in your neighborhood,” state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, said a few hours before at a news conference with other voucher opponents. “Remember this day next time a beloved teacher quits because they can’t support their family on their salary. Remember this day next time your local property taxes rise because the state government is not doing its fair share of school funding. And if recession comes and we are forced to make even deeper cuts to public education, remember this day.”

Top Republicans like Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have forcefully rebutted, saying parents needed more schooling options for their children in the face of COVID-19 health restrictions and frustrations with public schools’ efforts to foster a more inclusive environment for all students. They have insisted that a voucher program and the state’s public education system can coexist.

Those arguments came as voucher programs in other states have largely benefited wealthier families who already had their kids enrolled in private schools and led to disappointing academic outcomes for students.

Here’s a breakdown of how the program will work.