The Trump administration’s decision to freeze billions of dollars in education funding will leave Dallas schools with a $22 million gap, according to district officials. That money covers roughly 150 staff positions, DISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said Tuesday at a meeting with The Dallas Morning News editorial board. view article

The Brownsville Independent School District is scrambling to keep $8.3 million in federal programs operating after President Donald Trump’s administration unexpectedly froze nearly $7 billion in funding previously approved by Congress. The developments on Monday came as the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to proceed with plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. view article

Lufkin ISD is now no longer able to access over $2 million worth of funding. Three weeks from school starting, they say they are not sure if they can provide after school care for their students. “I’m not real optimistic but I am hopeful,” said Lufkin ISD Superintendent Dr. James Hockenberry. Lufkin ISD is one of thousands of schools around the country affected by the $6 billion education funding freeze. view article

The Copperas Cove ISD Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, July 15 approved an increase to the teacher pay scale. The trustees also agreed on a 3% raise from the midpoint for all of CCISD's administrative, clerical and auxiliary employees. With this approval, CCISD's starting teacher salary rose to $56,000, an increase of $3,000. With this increase in wages, alongside the recently approved House Bill 2, teachers with more than two years experience will receive a $2,500 increase in pay and teachers with more than five years experience will receive a $5,000 increase. view article

One of the biggest education stories in Texas in 2023 was the governor’s push to create a school-voucher-like program. And all signs point to that story continuing to be a major political driver in 2024.  At the heart of that debate is a decision about how Texas should fund education. But it’s hard to have a true debate on the topic because the state’s current school funding formula is so complicated and convoluted that very few people truly understand it.   TPR Education Reporter Camille Phillips spent a year analyzing nearly two decades of school finance data, researching laws and policies, and visiting schools so that Texans could have the information they need to have that debate. She discovered that the Texas school finance system continues to favor some districts over others — and it might not be the districts you expect. view article

Willis ISD trustees approved its 2025-26 compensation plan, the district announced July 10. The plan includes salary increases for teachers, instructional professionals, nonexempt hourly personnel and administrators, according to the district. view article

The San Antonio area’s wealthiest school districts are located north of the Alamo City, according to a San Antonio Express-News analysis of census data. At No. 2, perhaps surprisingly, is Randolph Field ISD, which is located at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on the Northeast Side. Randolph Field ISD serves students who live on base or who have parents on active duty. Randolph trains instructor pilots assigned to specialized Air Force programs — jobs that likely are better-paid than many others in the military. view article

Hallsville ISD is looking to provide raises to teachers in addition to those approved earlier this year by the Texas Legislature. Trustees met recently to discuss the district's 2025-26 budget. A report on salary increases was presented to the board by Mary Brown, assistant superintendent of finance. view article

Lago Vista Independent School District passed its updated version of the House Bill 2 bill, which was signed into law by the governor. HB2, which the 89th Texas Legislature passed, aims to support Texas public schools by providing additional funding and resources. view article

The era of massive state budget surpluses in Texas could be coming to an end.  As the last of the federal government’s COVID-19 emergency funds are spent and sales tax revenues return to historic averages after a large spike, budget analysts say state lawmakers will have far less wiggle room when it comes to funding their spending priorities.    “I don’t think we’re in any kind of crisis, but I think the days of big budget surpluses are probably over,” said Bill King, a fellow in public finance for Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy. “We’re going to be very careful how we spend money.”  In addition to federal pandemic aid, sales tax revenues from inflation and a post-lockdown economic rebound led to state budget surpluses. Texas lawmakers leaned on a $33 billion surplus in 2023 to pay for an $18 billion property tax-cut package, a $5 billion infusion for the new Texas Energy Fund and a host of infrastructure projects. Lawmakers entered this year’s legislative session with a $24 billion surplus, which helped to maintain previous tax-cuts; upgrade energy, water and broadband infrastructure; and cover other new spending items in the upcoming two-year budget cycle. view article

Beaumont ISD unveiled its future budget plans at the most recent school board meeting, and teacher raises figured heavily into the district's plans for the 2025-2026 school year. The district was recognized for its six-year track record of fiscal responsibility heading into the next budget cycle, particularly for having a non-deficit budget, chief financial officer Cheryl Hernandez told the board during her presentation. view article

Raises for most Humble ISD employees will range between 3%-7% in fiscal year 2025-26, HISD Chief Financial Officer Billy Beattie said during a June 17 meeting. Trustees approved HISD's budget and compensation plan for FY 2025-26 during the meeting. According to budget documents, the adopted general fund budget for FY 2025-26 includes $543.6 million in expenses, $543.7 million in revenue and a proposed tax rate of $1.1052 per $100 valuation-the same as FY 2024-25. view article

Veteran teachers in Katy ISD will no longer receive benchmark raises in the 2025-26 school year. Instead, the district will use the funds to provide raises and stipends for new teachers and other employees not covered by the state’s $28.9 million compensation package for the district. view article

The Houston Independent School District has released its 2025–2026 Compensation Plan, outlining changes that will tie teacher pay increases to performance evaluations rather than years of service. The plan continues the district’s ongoing shift toward performance-based compensation and comes as HISD implements broader reforms across the school system. view article

In a budget presentation June 24, the Conroe ISD board of trustees discussed a 2025-26 compensation plan including 6% raises for teachers and staff and a 4% raise for police and other administrative positions. view article

Austin ISD trustees have approved a new budget for the 2025–26 school year, one that still leaves the district tens of millions of dollars in the red. Despite months of cost-cutting, layoffs, and new state funding, the budget closes with a $47.3 million deficit. That includes a $19.7 million shortfall in the district’s general fund, which pays for daily operations like teacher salaries, transportation, and school services. view article

The board of trustees adopted the district’s budget for the 2025-26 school year during a special board meeting June 26 for $413.4 million. Chief Operations Officer John Allison said the budget is required to include a general, debt service and child nutrition fund. view article

The Judson Independent School District board is cutting early childhood education, athletics, staff positions and employee workdays in an effort to offset a historic budget deficit. The board has undergone a dramatic shift since the May 3 election, with the addition of three new trustees who ran campaigns on the need to address the district’s fiscal crisis more aggressively. At the behest of a new majority and its pariah-turned-presiding president, the seven-member board has spent the last month working tirelessly to reduce expenses. view article

The Comal Independent School District board of trustees approved pay increases for all teachers and staff members on Thursday, according to a news release. The raises are part of the district’s $341 million budget for the 2025-26 school year and were made possible by Texas House Bill 2 and the Teacher Retention Allotment (TRA). view article

Teachers and staff across Katy Independent School District will see pay increases in the upcoming school year under a compensation plan approved by the district’s board of trustees. The raises, funded through a mix of local resources and a new state law, aim to boost recruitment and retention across all levels of school staff. view article

Georgetown ISD has adopted a nearly $170.27 million balanced budget for fiscal year 2025-26.The board of trustees approved the district’s FY 2025-25 budget at a June 16 meeting. To avoid facing a budget shortfall, the district made $3.73 million in cuts across campuses and district departments, including athletics and special education.  “The board asked a year ago for what we knew was a tough task: To come to a balanced budget and to make some really hard decisions,” school board President James Scherer said. “The work [district officials] did put us in one of the strongest positions in Central Texas to not only allow us to continue to take care of teachers and staff, but to allow us to keep protecting ... and educating our children.” view article

Cy-Fair ISD is planning to use $45 million of savings to help provide raises and reinstate bus routes for 2025-26, officials said Wednesday.   While leaders expressed gratitude for the increased funding that came with the $8.5 billion the Texas Legislature gave to public schools this year, Superintendent Douglas Killian said it still isn’t enough.  After outcry from the community about busing cuts last summer, the board plans to vote on reinstating routes on Monday night, in addition to routes previously brought back. view article

The El Paso District unveiled the results of a long-awaited equity audit, which many in the community had anticipated before decisions on school closures were made. The audit, presented at the district headquarters, has been a focal point for years, with community members urging for its release before any closures. view article

College Station ISD’s Board of Trustees finalized the district’s 2025-26 school year budget during Tuesday night’s meeting, and the updated financial plan reflects both benefits and challenges for the district and staff. The district implemented a $2.1 million deficit budget for the upcoming school year despite increased state funding. “When you’re going into a deficit, your CFO’s (chief financial officer) going to be extremely concerned. But we’re going to continue to work hard, make sure that we can look for efficiencies, and then try to shave off a little bit more,” advised Heather Wilson, College Station ISD’s CFO. view article

The New Braunfels Independent School District (NBISD) announced that all eligible staff will receive a 2% raise for the 2025-26 school year. This decision follows the Monday, June 17th, Board of Trustees meeting where it received unanimous approval. In addition to the general pay increase, eligible classroom teachers will benefit from the Teacher Retention Allotment, a provision of Texas House Bill 2. view article

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Trustees for the North East Independent School District approved a compensation package Monday that largely aligns with the new school funding law House Bill 2. The law gives districts a relatively robust allotment to boost the salaries of experienced classroom teachers, and a smaller allotment for support staff. NEISD leaders told trustees the law's targeted funding limits their ability to give raises to other employees, including counselors, nurses, and librarians. view article

College Station ISD’s Board of Trustees finalized the district’s 2025-26 school year budget during Tuesday night’s meeting, and the updated financial plan reflects both benefits and challenges for the district and staff. The district implemented a $2.1 million deficit budget for the upcoming school year despite increased state funding. “When you’re going into a deficit, your CFO’s going to be extremely concerned, but we’re going to continue to work hard, make sure that we can look for efficiencies and then try to shave off a little bit more,” CSISD Chief Financial Officer Heather Wilson stated. During the meeting, the Board approved a compensation plan in line with recently passed House Bill 2, which ties new state funding directly to classroom teachers. view article

Austin ISD is trying to slash up to $10 million in spending by restructuring its central administrative office. Staff will learn the future of their positions Wednesday. “The process will include eliminating positions, reassignments, new reporting structures and pay scales,” district officials told KUT News in an email. The changes at the central office, which will take effect on Aug. 1, are part of an ongoing effort to reduce Austin ISD’s budget deficit, which currently totals about $93 million. view article

With the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature over, Tyler ISD is set to implement some changes, among them- pay raises for teachers. During Monday night’s school board meeting, Tyler ISD Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford outlined how the district will be impacted by HB 2, which provides $8.5 billion for public education funding, including teacher pay raises. He said the certified starting teacher salary for those with one year of experience is expected to increase by $1,500 to $52,000, with salary bumps for educators with more years of experience. view article

During a state legislative session where education issues took center stage and Gov. Greg Abbott promised to fund public schools, one San Antonio area school district could potentially lose money under the new bill. view article

Teachers and employees in Pearland ISD will be getting a pay bump in the upcoming school year after the district’s board approved $8.7 million in raises and stipends at its June 10 meeting. The compensation package includes nearly $8.4 million in salary increases and about $310,000 in stipends, district agenda documents show. view article

Temple Independent School District said it will save over $3.6 million over the next 15 years after it was able to price refunding bonds from 2016, which the district says will save taxpayers money. According to TISD, the district was able to refund $40,255,000 of the remaining principal at an interest rate of 3.896%. They say the refunding will result in an estimated savings of $3,671,080 over the 15 years remaining before the final bonds retire in 2041, meaning the district will save an average of nearly $293,000 per year in annual debt service payments beginning in fiscal year 2027. view article

The Fort Worth Independent School District’s board approved a budget on Tuesday evening that leaves the district in a financial hole — but one district leaders expect to be able to climb partway out of in the next few months. The board voted unanimously to approve a $43.6 million deficit budget for the 2025-26 school year. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article308361185.html#storylink=cpy view article

The Judson ISD board of trustees unanimously approved eliminating 25 vacant non-teaching positions and reducing four vacant nursing staff positions to licensed vocational nurse positions on June 5. The decision will save approximately $1.43 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, according to agenda documents. view article