Texas School Funding Rises Per Student Amid Enrollment Declines
Reported byTexas Scorecard
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At a Senate Education Committee hearing on Tuesday, Texas education officials told state senators that per-student public school funding has gone up even as falling enrollment strains some district budgets. Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath said Foundation School Program funding is roughly $14,500 to $15,000 per student, not counting federal money, other state appropriations, instructional materials or state contributions to teacher retirement. He credited the 2025 school funding law, House Bill 2, with adding about $4.5 billion a year, or roughly $700 to $800 per student.
A school business officials' representative described the other side of the problem. Amanda Brownson said Texas once added about 70,000 students a year, growth that slowed to about 4,000 a year before the state lost roughly 76,000 students last year. Because funding follows enrollment, revenue drops as students leave, while costs for staff, transportation, campuses and utilities fall more slowly. Georgetown ISD's superintendent said the district cut $13.1 million from a $167 million budget over two years.
The article also touches on the new Texas Education Freedom Accounts school choice program. Public school advocacy groups say students leaving reduces district funding. The Texas Public Policy Foundation argues the program is funded through a separate appropriation and that lost district funding reflects students no longer served. Lawmakers are reviewing how the funding formula affects districts. The next legislative session begins January 12.
Why it matters
Families, staff and taxpayers may see effects when districts cut budgets in response to falling enrollment, even as state per-student funding rises. The hearing also shows how lawmakers and advocates frame the link between school choice and public school revenue differently.
- Enrollment decline
- Budget cuts
- State funding formula
- School vouchers
- State legislature
- School choice
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should a school funding formula balance revenue that follows enrollment against costs that cannot be reduced quickly?
- What information would help families judge whether a district's budget cuts are tied to enrollment, funding levels, or both?
- How should communities weigh differing claims about how school choice programs affect public school revenue?
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