How did we get here
Understanding the money is the key to understanding everything else — the ratings, the takeover threat, and the pressure to close and redraw schools.
The per-student amount set by the Legislature has stood at $6,160 since 2019.1 House Bill 2 (2025) added just $55 per student — when roughly $1,300 was needed simply to keep pace with inflation.23
Texas funds schools based on attendance, not enrollment. Empty seats mean fewer dollars — even when a child is still enrolled.1
Funding is adjusted for student needs (low-income, bilingual, special education). "Property-wealthy" districts like AISD send a share of local taxes back to the state.1
Why it matters
Underfunded campuses are set up to struggle on the very ratings the state uses to judge them.
New this year: a $1 billion taxpayer-funded school voucher (ESA) program begins in 2026–27 — drawing from the same system, and projected to balloon to $7.9 billion by 2030–31.5