Austin ISD approves 2025-2026 budget

AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday night, the Austin Independent School Disctrict (AISD) approved its $1.58 billion budget for the 2025-2026 school year.

The district outlined that approximately $717 million of that budget will go to the state through recapture. 

House Bill 2 is projected to provide the district with an additional $36 million in state funding.

House Bill 2, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 4, provides substantial raises for experienced teachers in large Texas school districts; at least $2,500 for 3-5 years and $5,000 for over five years of experience.

The district projects a $40 million budget deficit.

Cuts to library services, school leadership and contracted services are included in this new budget.

Besides the budget, the district also approved a turnaround plan Thursday for Burnet, Webb and Dobie middle schools, all of which have received multiple failing state accountability scores since 2019.

The turnaround plan must be submitted to the Texas Education Agency by the end of the month or they risk state intervention.

New teacher openings at Dobie, Burnet and Webb have been posted by the district.

Money-saving measures, including school closures and consolidations, remain a topic of ongoing discussion.

Houston Independent School District’s superintendent and school board were ousted and replaced in 2023 because of long-term academic failure at one school and accusations of leadership wrongdoing.

State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles has led the district since then and extended the intervention’s reach to June 1, 2027.