Texas
Texas school districts all struggling with lack of state funding
Looking at statewide school funding
It’s not just Central Texas schools struggling with budget deficits. Districts all across the state are dealing with different versions of the same problem: a lack of funding from the state. 7 On Your Side reporter John Krinjak has a look at the impact.
AUSTIN, Texas – Over the past month, 7 On Your Side has been spotlighting local districts that have been grappling with budget deficits. But it’s not just Central Texas schools that are struggling.
Districts all across the state say they are dealing with different versions of the same problem: a lack of funding from the state.
MORE STORIES:
Austin ISD operates in budget deficit
What they’re saying:
District leaders across Texas are anxiously awaiting action from the state legislature when it comes to public school funding.
“A lot of districts have cut through a lot of the fat, and they’re getting to the bone,” said Dax Gonzalez of the Texas Association of School Boards.
Austin ISD is currently operating with a $92 million deficit. The school board is finalizing plans to make that much in cuts over three years.
“There are likely going to be cuts to things that we love. And that’s part of the hard decision-making that we have to make because the state is choosing not to fully fund public education,” said Austin ISD Board President Arati Singh.
School districts talk about legislature funding
A lot of school districts are hoping to see lawmakers take action to increase school funding. Last week, 7 On Your Side looked at the impact of that situation at Austin ISD. Now, John Krinjak takes a look at two more districts dealing with the lack of state funding
Other Texas school districts are struggling
What they’re saying:
But Austin ISD is far from alone, with district after district across Texas passing deficit budgets and making major cuts.
“We’re talking about things like closing campuses, reducing staff. That’s instructional staff as well, things like cutting bus routes, the things that families have really come to rely on. One year they’re going to start the school year and those services may not be there,” said Dax Gonzales of the Texas Association of School Boards.
Dallas ISD is currently dealing with a $152 million deficit. That’s about $35 million less than the original $186 million shortfall for this year. But painful cuts were made. Among them, the elimination of hundreds of positions—including cutting 55 assistant principal jobs.
Nearby, in Coppell ISD, the board of trustees recently voted to close Pinkerton Elementary.
“Why are we in this financial dire situation for education? Shouldn’t we be prioritizing education?” said Coppell ISD parent Josh McCrary.
Gonzalez says the answer to that question largely has to do with the legislature failing to raise the basic allotment, the per-student amount each district receives from the state, in six years.
“They’re trying to figure out how to provide the same services with the same funding basically that they’ve received since 2019. And inflation, just like with everyone else, has taken a large cut out of what those districts can provide,” said Gonzalez.
Del Valle Superintendent on budget deficit, state funding
Local school districts are dealing with mounting budget deficits. District leaders are largely laying the blame at the feet of state legislators who have not raised the so-called basic allotment in six years. That’s the per-student amount each district gets in state funding.
Houston ISD is facing the largest deficit of all this year, about $250 million. That’s double the original projected shortfall, after Superintendent Mike Miles said the district would dip into savings to cover things like building maintenance and classroom instruction.
All this comes after Houston ISD made major cuts last year.
“And because we did so many cuts last year, we won’t have to repeat that. We might have to cut a little bit,” said Miles at a December 10 school board meeting.
School board leaders, though, expressed concern at that meeting.
“I want to make sure that what we’re doing right now is not putting us in a bad position for next year,” said Houston ISD Board President Audrey Momanee.
Miles predicts a smaller deficit for next year, but the exact size of the shortfall could have a lot to do with whether lawmakers raise the basic allotment.
“I’m not promising anything until we see the real numbers from the state.”
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s John Krinjak
Texas
Texas’ Justice Carlton has turned baking passion into full-fledged business
FORT WORTH, TX — When she’s not on the court, Texas forward Justice Carlton is baking cookies.
If you’re wondering if they’re good, just ask her teammates.
“They’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” senior Sarah Graves said.
What started as baking for her teammates and managers for fun has grown into a full-fledged business: J’s Rollin In Dough.
After hours of practice on the basketball court and in the weight room, Carlton spends six hours a day baking cookies to fulfill her orders – or sometimes, simply for fun.
“Anytime that I get out of practice around 5 I’m so happy because I just go home and bake,” Carlton said.
Carlton’s love for baking dates back to her childhood.
“My mom worked over the summers, so when we were out of school it was so boring,” she said. “But the Easy-Bake Oven and the cake pop machine saved my life.”
Over winter break, she and her mom began discussing the possibility of creating a business of her own. They decided she could use her NIL money to form a limited liability company and obtain her food handlers license, so she did just that.
In just three months of business, she’s received more than 100 orders and has gained nearly 1,200 followers on Instagram. She takes orders through a form linked in her Instagram bio.
“It’s funny to see athletes do other things they are passionate about because they put the same focus and intensity into it,” Graves said. “And I can tell she has that for baking.”
Watch March Madness on Fubo
Last month, Carlton baked a batch of cookies for the “College Gameday” staff in hopes of gaining some media attention. The following month, the SEC Network staff ordered a batch at the SEC tournament and tried the cookies on live TV.
“I used basketball as my platform, which (associate director of communications Jeremy Rosenthal) really helped me do,” she said. “I’ve just kind of been getting my name out there, so that’s been something that’s really fun.”
The flavors offered are chocolate chip, cookie monster, cookies n’ cream, red velvet, brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodle and her newest flavor, sugar cookie. She also takes requests.
“She made a banana pudding cookie recently,” freshman Aaliyah Crump said. “I think that one was my favorite.”
While many of her orders come from her teammates, she recently received an order from the Longhorns football team for a team party and for a neuroscience class celebration.
In the future, Carlton hopes to move her business outside of the kitchen and onto the streets.
“I’ve put all my sales money aside and I want to start a food truck,” she said. “I think I would do something like a Crumbl Cookies on wheels.”
For now, Carlton has turned the oven off while she and the Longhorns prepare to face Kentucky in the Sweet 16 on March 28.
Ansley Gavlak is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
Texas
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Texas
How to Watch No. 1 Texas Longhorns Hosting No. 15 Texas A&M in Lone Star Showdown
The Texas Longhorns haven’t slowed down throughout the 2026 season as they now hold a 29-1 record and continue to push the longest winning streak in program history farther along, as the Longhorns’ winning streak now stands at 27 games.
The Longhorns have strung together consistency and dominance over the last weeks of the season, as recently the Longhorns have become the unanimous top team in the country, earning the top spot, ranking as the No. 1 team in the nation.
And now No. 1 Texas will get back to the gauntlet that is SEC play with a conference series against one of its bitter rivals in the dirt edition of the Lone Star Showdown against the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns get ready to host, welcoming in the Aggies to Red and Charline McCombs Field with the first game of the series set for Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. CT.
How to Watch Texas vs. Texas A&M
Who: No. 1 Texas Longhorns and No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies
What: Lone Star Showdown
When: March 27-29
Where: Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, TX
TV/Streaming: Friday on SEC Network+, Saturday on ESPN2 and Sunday on ESPN
Radio: Longhorn Radio Network
Meet the Opponent
The Aggies head into the Lone Star Showdown series with a 23-9 overall record and have found success through their two conference series of the season, with a 5-1 record in the SEC. Away from home, the Aggies have split four of their away games with a 2-2 record on the road.
With the flip of the calendar from non-conference to conference play, the Aggies find a rhythm on the field, taking their conference opener against the then No. 17-ranked LSU Tigers on the road 2-1 and followed that up with a sweep at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, outscoring the Wildcats 26-9 over the three-game series.
The Longhorns batting order will battle against an Aggies pitching staff that heads into the weekend series with a 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. As a whole, the Aggies pitching staff has recorded 193 strikeouts while holding their opponents to a .225 batting average.
The leader of the Aggies pitching staff is sophomore Sydney Lessentine, as her 72 innings pitched is the most by any other Aggies pitcher. In her 19 appearances this season, Lessentine tallies a 2.43 ERA and .82 WHIP along with 60 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .196 batting average.
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