Austin, TX
Texas schools are hurting financially. Abbott should call a special session | Editorial
Abbott denies a special session to address Texas’ school district funding crisis and ties relief to passing school vouchers. That’s not how government for the people should work.
After four special legislative sessions pushing a failed school voucher plan, Gov. Greg Abbott is ignoring Texas students. Across the state, school districts, including Austin ISD, are in financial distress. But this month, when 39 House Democrats requested a special session to help, Abbott refused. In doing so, the governor denies Texas students their constitutional right to quality public education.
The Democrats’ ask was reasonable: 30 days to hash out more state funding per student and for school safety needs. Numerous districts are reeling from inflation, campus safety costs, and a basic per-student funding level that’s been stagnant since 2019. Austin ISD, struggling with an $89 million deficit, announced plans to shrink it to $59 million with cutbacks such as 42 layoffs in the central office, and trimming overtime, contracts and other costs.
The school board also is mulling a request for a tax hike that could bring $44 million into the district’s budget of $956 million, enabling a three percent pay raise for teachers along with other needs. The tax hike would need voter approval.
The focus in this crisis should be Texas kids. Instead, Abbott lambasts schools for the deficits, citing overdependence on temporary federal COVID funds and lower enrollment. He blames the funding freeze on lawmakers who rightly balked at sharing their voters’ public education funds with private schools. In truth, under Abbott’s influence, legislation for public school funding was pulled from a vote after House members voted to strip out an attached voucher plan.
The school budget crisis has been a long time coming.
“The biggest reason that schools are in financial trouble now is because the state legislature was unable to pass a bill for public school funding,” said David DeMatthews, a University of Texas associate professor specializing in education policy. Like districts in other states, Texas school districts are grappling with inflation in goods, utilities, and technology, wage competition and the academic and mental health fallout of COVID. AISD additionally has been slammed by lower-than-expected property tax growth, and cost of state and federal special education requirements.
Districts overall are shouldering unique new expenses. After the mass shooting of Uvalde elementary school students, House Bill 3 required each school to hire an armed guard, allotting $15,000 per campus plus $10 per student, or about $2.5 million for AISD. But AISD estimates that the new hires will cost $8 million plus related costs, leaving an unfunded state mandate of about $5.5 million a year.
Underlying the school emergency is years of underinvestment. An American-Statesman analysis found that once adjusted for inflation, Texas’ per-student funding from state and local sources has dropped by 12.9% since 2020. Texas ranks 42nd in the country for per-student public education funding. The state’s share of ISD funding dropped from 44 percent in 2011 to 31 percent in 2022, education consultant Paul Colbert said.
“Other states are dealing with the same problems and taking steps to remedy them,” DeMatthews told the Editorial Board. “But they don’t have the history that Texas does.”
Also distinctive to Texas: the backdrop of a history-making budget surplus of $32.7 billion last year. The Legislature tapped existing revenue for $4 billion in school funding. But under Abbott’s sway, these funds were tied to voucher approval, a package repeatedly rejected by House members. Among them were 21 Republicans, many from rural districts where public schools are cherished community centers.
Texas has $5 billion in unspent school funds, Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, wrote Abbott, who is still stinging over the defeat of vouchers at the legislature. To access that money, Abbott wrote back, lawmakers need to “muster the votes to get it passed.” In short, they must vote for a program their voters don’t want, or Abbott holds billions of school dollars hostage.
Texas has a constitutional obligation to provide free public schools
This isn’t how government should work. As the Texas Constitution states, “It shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State, to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.”
If Abbott valued Texas students as much as he does vouchers, he would call a special session so lawmakers can help Texas students. The need is urgent. The money is there. And Texans have a right to adequately funded public schools.
Join several Austin labor unions and community members to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s life and the countless immigrants who have been impacted by ICE.
The community vigil will take place at the Wildflower Church on Saturday, July 11th starting at 6 PM. All are welcome to bring flowers and candles as we honor the loss of life and grieve the separation of families.
Community Vigil Details
🗓️ July 11, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
🗺️ 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
🚗 Public transit and rideshare encouraged! Limited parking available and overflow parking may be available at Travis High School.
Please consider donating to the family’s GoFundMe if you are able: https://bit.ly/atx4lorenzo
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A report released by the think tank Texas 2036 claims that ten state laws implemented between 2019 and 2025 led to “one of the nation’s most comprehensive strategies for connecting education to careers.”
The report is titled “The Next Generation of the Texas Miracle.” It can be read below.
Mary Lynn Pruneda, Texas 2036’s director of education and workforce policy, said in an announcement accompanying the report that the reforms have been steps in the right direction.
“Texas has a bright economic future ahead of it, but we have to make sure that Texas students are equipped to share in this prosperity,” she said. “Texas needs to double down on improving and investing in high-quality career pathways so that all Texas students can take part in the Texas Miracle. Thankfully, due to the Legislature’s great work over the past four sessions, we are on our way to that critical goal.”
The report gives several data points, such as a 532% increase in high schoolers earning “post-secondary credentials” since 2018, or that community colleges awarded 140,000 “credentials of value” in 2024.
It paints a rosy picture of the future Texas economy, but doesn’t source its data or explain how it reached these conclusions. It’s apparent that the think tank wants further laws related to Texas’ workforce and education.
“Texas 2036 is actively engaged in that process, pushing for data modernization and interoperability reforms that would allow the state to track whether credentials are meeting real employer needs in communities across the state,” said the think tank in its announcement.
Grace Atkins, policy advisor of postsecondary education for Texas 2036, called the think tank’s report “encouraging.”
“The early results are encouraging: more students are earning credentials that can help them move into good jobs, and that is real progress,” she said. “For students and families, these pathways can be the difference between getting by and getting ahead. The next step is making sure more Texans can earn credentials that lead to strong wages, real career options and greater economic mobility.”
AUSTIN, Texas — After Senator Charles Perry vowed to introduce another bill to ban THC in Texas next legislative session, an Austin cannabis shop owner is urging lawmakers to find a middle ground.
Estella Castro owns Austinite Cannabis Co., a family-owned shop that makes and sells cannabis and hemp products.
Austinite Cannabis Co. (Photo: CBS Austin/Audrey Wong)
Her business has faced a potential THC ban before. During the 2025 legislative session, Senate Bill 3 attempted to enact a broad ban on all cannabinoids except CBD and CBG.
Castro says she was most worried for her customers. “It was a big initial hit of like, what are we gonna do? How are we gonna pivot? How are we gonna keep the doors open for everybody to keep their jobs?” she said.
RELATED | Texas state senator plans to introduce new THC ban bill in upcoming session
That bill passed, but was later vetoed by Governor Greg Abbott. Similar legislation failed to pass during the subsequent special session.
However, the possibility of a total ban bill being introduced and passed next session could spell trouble for Austinite Cannabis.
During a hearing Tuesday, July 7, Senator Charles Perry vowed to present such a bill next session as public officials, medical experts, and others discussed THC’s medical uses, effects on minors, and regulation.
Castro says over half of the store’s revenue comes from products that contain THC.
“I would say it’s about a 60/40 split: 60% THC and 40 CBD… So feel like it is a huge number that affects my store in so many ways,” she said.
ALSO | Texas French Bread reopens dining room four years after fire
She feels that a total ban on THC would negatively affect multiple parties.
“Banning it is just hurting the consumer,” she said. “Making the consumer go and find a street dealer… killing any dispensaries… it’s gonna hurt your small business owner.”
If another THC ban bill is written, it will be introduced during the next legislative session, which begins in January 2027.
In the meantime, Castro’s two stores will continue to operate as normal. She hopes lawmakers will think twice about instituting a complete ban on THC.
“I feel like we’re better than that, you know, we’re Texas,” she said. “We need to find some middle ground where it’s not a complete ban, and we can still be able to come together.”
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