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Arlington ISD will face a nearly $60 million shortfall next year despite a staff reorganization and no raises for employees. The district’s trustees unanimously adopted the 2026-27 budget shortfall Tuesday night. Trustee Justin Chapa said the previous cuts have provided a financial runway to absorb the shortfall — but the district is nearing the edge. view article

The Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) Board of Trustees adopted a budget Wednesday night, June 17, carrying a deficit of $12.2 million. The move will bring the district’s financial reserves to a dangerously low $4.5 million — a level auditors warned could put the district on a path to financial insolvency. view article

The Socorro Independent District adopted a balanced budget for the second year in a row and is looking to start rebuilding its savings next year after a decade of spending more than it generated in revenue. The SISD board voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt a $462.1 million general fund budget with a $550,000 surplus that will pay for the operating costs of the district’s aquatic center. view article

Wylie ISD trustees approved the district’s 2026-27 budget during their June 16 meeting, adopting a spending plan that projects a nearly $15 million deficit while providing pay increases for teachers and staff and maintaining the current tax rate. view article

When Rachel Preston became a teacher more than a decade ago, she fell in love with helping Austin students learn French. “Sometimes, I get to see the kids go from zero to conversant, almost fluent in the language,” said Preston, who teaches at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, or LASA. “They’re growing the whole time they’re in your class. You just get to see them succeed.” view article

For years, public school leaders, advocates and families have complained that state funding didn’t keep up with the actual needs of children with disabilities.  But now, they are finding new funding gaps as Texas rolls out its private school voucher program, which offers up to $30,000 for students with disabilities. The voucher program, which follows state funding for special education in public schools, awards students in different districts very different amounts, in some cases by thousands of dollars.   “None of us have ever seen anything like this,” said Andrea Chevalier, director of governmental relations for the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education. “It's crazy to look at the disparity between some of the districts.” view article

Austin ISD closed the 2025-26 school year with a projected $95 million shortfall—more than four times the $19.7 million shortfall the board adopted last June—as trustees questioned whether they could vote on a budget that may already be underpowered before it takes effect.  The district's fund balance is projected to fall to 10.1% of operating expenditures by the end of June, according to a June 11 Austin ISD board meeting presentation. That figure is half the 20% that the board's own policy requires and below even the temporary 15% floor trustees set in 2025. The fund balance acts as the district's savings account, covering payroll and expenses during the months before property tax revenue arrives each year, according to the presentation. view article

The Austin school district is entering a pivotal stretch that could determine whether the district remains under local control or becomes the next Texas school system taken over by the state. Three middle schools — Burnet, Webb and Dobie — are awaiting accountability results that could trigger a state-mandated intervention and set in motion a process that has already played out in Houston, Fort Worth and other districts across Texas. view article

Houston ISD's board of managers delayed a vote Thursday night to approve the district's proposed budget for the 2026-27 school year. The state-appointed managers are now scheduled to vote on June 25. The board must approve a budget by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. view article

As school districts draw up budget plans for the upcoming school year, San Antonio’s largest school district will likely place pay raises in the hands of voters. For months, Northside Independent School District officials have hinted at a voter approval-tax rate election, or VATRE, in November. VATREs increase tax rates on the maintenance and operation side, unlocking extra dollars a school district can use on day-to-day costs like pay, student programs and utilities. view article

The Austin school financial crisis reached a new low Thursday as district leaders revealed the school system is now projected to close the year with a $95 million year-end deficit, a shortfall $76 million deeper expected, and one that will drain the district’s financial reserves to half their usual level. view article

The Austin Independent School District Board is expected to consider a proposed contract amendment Thursday that would extend Superintendent Matias Segura's contract through 2030 and also include a performance pay incentive tied to campus accountability ratings. view article

The Brownsville Independent School District budget committee reviewed a near-final budget of $486.47 million for the 2026-2027 school year. The review last Monday, led by Chief Financial Officer Rosario Pena, forecasts pay raises of 2% for all employees, makes adjustments to the pay scales for some longtime employees, improves the teacher-student ratio for middle schools and fifth grade from 26-1 to 22-1 and makes other adjustments to “right-size” the district. view article

The Austin school financial crisis reached a new low Thursday as district leaders revealed the school system is now projected to close the year with a $95 million year-end deficit, a shortfall $76 million deeper expected, and one that will drain the district’s financial reserves to half their usual level. view article

Austin ISD officials said Thursday in an email to KXAN that the district’s savings account has dropped to a critical level as leaders prepare to adopt a budget that will require significant cuts. The district’s fund balance, often viewed as a financial safety net, is projected to end the year at about 10% of the overall budget. view article

Many Austin ISD students, parents, educators and community members packed a Board of Trustees meeting this week, voicing frustration and concern over a proposed budget plan that would eliminate nearly $186 million in spending as the district works to address a projected $181 million deficit next school year. view article

Austin ISD, the largest school district in central Texas, is back at the table tonight as leaders work through a major budget plan. The district is trying to close a projected $181 million shortfall before the next school year. The proposed plan would eliminate or restructure more than 500 positions districtwide. view article

Spring Branch ISD officials say a recent change by the TEA has left the district with millions less in state funding than expected, prompting concerns about future budget cuts and even discussion of possible legal action. During a school board meeting Monday night, district leaders said Spring Branch ISD received funding from House Bill 2, the school finance package approved by lawmakers this year. However, officials said in May there was a change to a TEA funding formula, reducing the amount of money the district anticipated receiving. view article

San Antonio ISD’s spent more than $46,000 to pay for travel for seven members of its executive cabinet since mid-2024, records show. The cabinet’s top traveler is Dr. Shawn Bird, the district’s deputy superintendent. Records show Bird has gone on at least 17 trips on SAISD’s behalf. view article

Carroll Independent School District is counting on $8.75 million in land sales this year to offset a projected $1.6 million budget deficit and $1.7 million loss in state funding.    These items were highlighted at the June 1 Carroll ISD board of trustees special meeting.  The $8.75 million in revenue includes the sale of Old Dragon Stadium — 14.78 acres at 2400 N. Carroll Ave. — and three other properties.   view article

The El Paso Independent School District voted during a special board meeting 5-1 on Thursday to declare financial exigency, allowing for termination of contracts, employment agreements and programs without penalties. This comes as district leaders have been working to balance the district's budget by the end of June, as the district is projecting a shortfall of roughly $42.1 million for the 2026-2027 budget year. view article

As a budget shortfall and lagging public school funding loom in Arlington ISD, the district’s teachers and staff will not see a pay raise in the next year. Arlington ISD school board members voted unanimously to bolster some employee benefits, but did not approve increases in pay Thursday night. view article

The Austin Independent School District’s plan to address a $181 million budget deficit includes a proposed $5 million cut to the school district’s police force. The budget proposal dropped this week; you can read a full summary of what that entails here. view article

The Austin Independent School District's proposed budget makes deep cuts to programs, transportation and as many as 558 positions. At a meeting Thursday night, teachers, staff and parents urged district officials and the board of trustees to reconsider the proposals being made to reduce the $181 million budget deficit. view article

Round Rock ISD board members on June 17 adopted a $467.42 million general operating budget for fiscal year 2021-22. The general operating fund budget includes $444.53 million in revenues and $467.42 million in expenses, creating a deficit in this fund of $17.2 million, RRISD Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Adix said. view article

State lawmakers were prepared for a budget crunch, since the COVID-19 pandemic slashed revenues from sales taxes, energy taxes, and other sources. The question they now face is how to close the shortfall without choking off long-term growth.  The answer is far from clear, but it’s certain to involve cuts to popular programs.  In fact, such cuts are what's expected this session. The state comptroller's office says lawmakers need to close a shortfall of nearly $1 billion in revenues. And Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton of Conroe, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee, noted that Gov. Greg Abbott has asked state agencies to reduce budgets by 5%. view article

Bryan ISD's Board of Trustees have approved a one-time $500 supplement for their salaried employees. Teachers, counselors, librarians, nurses, administrators and professional staff receive their pay bonus on their Dec 15 paycheck. view article

Texas pre-K programs are just scraping by after losing millions of dollars last year — and without sustainable funding, they could see greater problems down the line, school officials say. During the 2017 legislative session, lawmakers decided not to fund a $118 million high-quality pre-K grant program that was created in 2015 and championed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The money had gone to 573 districts and charter schools that pledged to meet measures such as setting a lower student-teacher ratio, avoiding Common Core curricula and reporting student progress to the state. view article

Burnet school district officials were probably expecting to get more than two years from the synthetic turf installed at Bulldog Field in 2015, but that didn’t happen and it’s now set the district back $150,000. Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Keith McBurnett, however, said the district is looking to get $105,000 back from one manufacturer. Last year, officials noticed some turf fibers sticking up higher than others, so they took a closer look, McBurnett said. “To most people, it probably wasn’t noticeable,” he said. “We had all the experts look at the field, and they looked at the backside. It needed to be replaced.” view article

On Saturday, voters who live within the Houston ISD will go to the polls to determine how - or if - the district will pay the state millions in "recapture" fees. Whatever voters decide on Proposition 1, the Houston ISD will take a financial hit, officials say. Recapture, and school finance, can be difficult to grasp. To help, here are the answers to some questions about the ballot measure. view article

The Round Rock school district awarded $1.9 million in grants to 34 campuses to help foster innovation in schools through programs, models or initiatives that enrich learning. The grants range from $7,500 to $100,000 and support the district’s strategic goal of implementing, enhancing and reinforcing innovative teachings and learning models, according to a district news release. view article

Fort Bend ISD is going to begin serving up something different for some students who continually fail to pay for their lunches -- a cold cheese sandwich with a side of milk, and that's not sitting well with some parents. We're not talking about students who qualify for free school meals. But apparently, these repeat offenders have gotten so "forgetful" that it's draining the district's budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars. view article

The Garland school district’s $453.8 million budget for 2015-16 passed this week. Here are the highlights: Taxes are going up: There’s a 10-cent per $100 valuation tax increase tied to theNovember 2014 passage of a $455 million bond package. Garland ISD previously had the second-lowest tax rate among 16 districts that tax in Dallas County; the bond will bring that closer to the midpoint. view article

The Lampasas Independent School District met Monday to discuss the district’s fiscal year 2016 budget and proposed tax rates. “My idea was still to give everyone a tax break, but to make it 1 cent right now, and we could change it in a year if we need to,” board member Sam Walker said. “I think we are jumping the gun by dropping it 2 cents.” view article