But wait; there's more…
"The Masonic Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas was established in December 1837, and Masons were instrumental in establishing a strong public education system. Mirabeau B. Lamar, a Freemason and the second President of the Republic of Texas, is remembered as the founder of the Texas Public Schools system and is commonly referred to as the “Father of Education” in Texas. In his inaugural address to State Congress in 1839, Lamar called for an appropriation of land to support public schools which later provided for 50 leagues of land to support the establishment and growth of two universities — now the University of Texas and Texas A&M University."
https://www.galvnews.com/education/islandeducation/rich-history-behind-texas-public-schools-month/article_7d41642c-2c1c-53fb-aab1-99be3fadab4c.html