How does the district spend its funds?
Per-student spending reflects how much money a
school spends to educate each child — though
different sources may calculate it differently.
Our figure divides total local, state and federal
general fund spending by enrollment. The general
fund is a school’s operating fund, and where leaders
have the most spending discretion. When spending
exceeds revenue, a district is in deficit — risking
depleted reserves unless a plan is in place to bring
the budget back into balance.
How to read this chart
The per-student spending calculation shown here reflects all general fund expenses including non-operating expenses such
as recapture payments to the state. It should not be directly compared to per-student funding, which excludes recapture.
School advocates have
called attention to hard choices districts across Texas have had
to make — from adopting budget deficits and hiring uncertified
teachers to closing schools — as evidence that the state has not
invested enough in an education system serving more than 5.5
million children. A Tribune analysis shows the state's share of
the funds that schools receive per student (known as the basic
allotment) significantly decreased in the past decade until
recently.
Learn more about how schools are funded and how the math adds
up.
The Texas Tribune
also has
a special report that pulls together everything you need to
know about school choice, vouchers and how they will change the
state's educational landscape.