Education
BY MARK FADDEN & HANNAH NORTON
Following the failure of Northwest ISD’s Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election from the Nov. 5 election, NISD officials will begin planning for class size changes for the 2025-26 school year. The details According to a district news release, the 3-cent increase in property taxes would have generated approximately $16 million in the district’s main- tenance and operations budget. Funds from this budget are used, in part, to help retain and attract teachers while also preventing cuts to student programs. Potential changes may be in store for other operations, as well. Before any campus-based cuts are implemented, the news release states district officials will meet with department leadership to make adjustments Northwest ISD to begin class size adjustments after failure of VATRE
KISD announces date for The Big Event Each Keller ISD campus will participate in The Big Event on April 12, 2025, with various age-appropriate service activities, according to a district news release. The details The Big Event is Keller ISD’s one-day ser- vice project open to all Keller ISD students, families, teachers and staff members from the district’s 42 campuses. It is the largest one-day, student-run ser- vice project in the United States, according to the release. The event website states each campus will have their own registration process to volunteer. For more information, students and parents can email event coordinators at TheBigEvent@KellerISD.net.
Possible NISD adjustments The VATRE would have covered NISD’s $15.8M shortfall that was adopted with the 2024-25 budget.
Larger class size ratios
Cuts to student programs
Lack of raises for teachers and staff
SOURCE: NORTHWEST ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
at both the district and campus levels. Superintendent Mark Foust said while the outcome is not what district officials hoped for, NISD staff will continue to provide high-quality educational services. What else? The news release states as NISD officials con- tinue budget planning for the 2025-26 school year, they will create various budget scenarios based on potential legislative updates—or lack thereof—to public school funding.
Private school vouchers ‘top priority’ for state leaders
Allotment vs. inflation in Texas Since 2019, inflation in the U.S. has risen by 22%.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the Texas Senate, said passing school vouchers was his “top policy priority” for 2025. Vouchers give families public money to send their children to private schools, which opponents argue would strip public schools of critical funds. The House now has 79 “hardcore school choice proponents,” Gov. Greg Abbott said Nov. 6. A 76-vote majority is needed to approve legislation.
Current situation State lawmakers have not adjusted the base amount of money schools receive per student since 2019. The basic allotment is $6,160, and schools receive about $10,500 per student annu- ally, according to the Texas Education Agency. Nationally, $16,281 was spent per-student in 2022-23, per the National Education Association.
Allotment if adjusted for inflation
Per student allotment
$7,556
$8K $7K $6K 0
$6,160
$6,160
SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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