Documents & Tools

The following handouts provide an in-depth look at the Texas public school finance system and its impact on school districts. These fact sheets should be essential reading for anyone seeking more information about how Texas funds public education. 

For any followup information, please do not hesitate to contact the Texas School Coalition staff.

Documents & Tools

No Comments

The Shell Game

Learn how the legislative appropriations process has become a “shell game” when it comes to Robin Hood recapture.

Read More »
No Comments

School Finance testimony in House

The Coalition provided testimony to the House Public Education Committee on school finance. Since HB 3, inflation has increased by 12%, while school funding has been flat. Since recapture was reduced by HB 3, it has increased by 25%.

Read More »
No Comments

School Finance testimony in Senate

The Coalition provided testimony to the Senate Education Committee on school finance. Since HB 3, inflation has increased by 9%, while school funding has been flat. Since recapture was reduced by HB 3, it has increased by 22%.

Read More »
No Comments

School Funding Still in Need of Improvement

Some people have recently tried to downplay the impact of recapture on schools and taxpayers by saying the State and the federal government have already made sizable investments to help our schools. These points are recommended to provide some important context and facts.

Read More »
No Comments

CSHB 1525 Threatens Funding for Public Schools

House Bill 1525 is billed as the “clean up” measure that addresses unintended consequences of school finance reforms passed in 2019. However, the Senate version of HB 1525 goes much further and could lead to funding reductions for many school districts. It would also severely limit districts’ ability to use federal education funds as intended.

Read More »
No Comments

Formula Transition Grant Prevents Funding Losses

The House Bill 3 school finance legislation passed in 2019 invested billions of new dollars in public education, but the new law’s changes to funding formulas left some districts with less funding. The Legislature put Formula Transition Grants in place to ensure districts received a minimum increase. FTGs make the law adopted in 2019 better than the law we had before; without it (or with it at a reduced amount), that isn’t the case.

Read More »
No Comments

What schools need to know about ESSER 3

On April 28, 2021, state leaders announced that the entirety of the $11.2 billion from the LEA allocation under ESSER III would flow to Texas schools. This post is intended to focus specifically on what district leaders need to know about the ESSER III allocation for school districts.

Read More »
No Comments

Fund Balances Help School Districts Manage Resources

In simple terms, fund balance is the difference between assets and liabilities in a governmental fund as of the close of the fiscal year. School districts use their fund balances to responsibly manage cash flow — especially in districts that pay recapture and cannot lean on regular state funding.

Read More »

School Finance Overview

Texas School Finance FAQs | Texas School Coalition
No Comments

Texas School Finance FAQs

How big is the public education system in Texas? More than 5.4 million children attend Texas public schools and more than 720,000 people work in…

Read More »

Recent Presentations

The Texas School Coalition used the following documents in presentations to member districts and other groups: