How Texas’ School Funding Scheme Contributed to Austin ISD’s Massive Budget Shortfall

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Austin ISD News

David Kauffman,Every Texan,Greg Abbott

Recapture is just one puzzle piece

“One thing that I’m noticing after three and a half years on this board is that many of the crises that we live under are crises manufactured by the state,” Austin ISD Trustee Kevin Foster said at a recent meeting of the district’s board of trustees. “We are living under a crisis 100% manufactured by the state. We have enough money to run two school districts this size, if the state didn’t rob us.

Because the basic allotment doesn’t automatically adjust for inflation or operating costs, educators are forced to beg politicians for more money at every legislative session. With the basic allotment having been left unchanged since 2019, they were optimistic about an increase in the 2023 legislative session, particularly with the state sitting on a $33 billion budget surplus. By the end of the session, lawmakers had agreed on a modest boost.

Austinites love to complain about recapture because our district’s property values are the highest in the state, and our payments to that fund have doubled over the last decade. Next year, Austin ISD expects to fork over half of the property taxes it collects to the state – $940 million will go to other Texas schools, $925 million will stay in the district.

 

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