Education
BY JAMES T. NORMAN & HANNAH NORTON
Education Edition
2025
Welcome to Community Impact’s annual Education Edition. This year’s edition includes a look at education foundations in the area and what they o er to the community. We also explore recent actions by Alvin, Friendswood and Pearland ISDs. We break down the newest state legislation a ecting public schools as well. Lastly, our cover story this year focuses on how school districts are trying to limit cellphones in the classroom.
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Local districts re ect on new funding As local school districts approve new budgets for scal year 2025-26, o cials are highlighting how their budgets were helped by $8.4 billion in funding from the state’s new House Bill 2. provided for teachers. However, he also noted the rising costs districts have faced in recent years.
HB 2 e ects on district funding
$3.7B for teacher pay in HB 2 $1.3B for xed costs, such as transportation and insurance in HB 2 $850M for special education resources in HB 2 $430M for school safety in HB 2 $55 increase to basic allotment in HB 2 $6M surplus in PISD’s general fund $391.4M balanced budget for AISD
Speci cally, advocates across the state were looking for an increase of around $1,300 to the per-student basic allotment, which is the funding districts get for each student enrolled. However, it was increased by $55. Combs did highlight the pros of the bill, such as the property insurance funding. Zooming out Advocates for school funding, such as Raise Your Hand Texas, have highlighted the billions in funding for schools, but note in many areas funding still fell short. RYHT Dean of Policy Bob Popinski noted the new funding that went toward the basic allotment was carried over from other funding mechanisms, arguing the additional funding wasn’t truly new. “It’s a really complicated way of saying they
However, while the bill pumped billions into teacher pay, special education and insurance, o cials in Alvin and Pearland ISDs said many rising costs are left unaddressed. What you need to know Pearland ISD approved its budget with a surplus in late June. Superintendent Larry Berger said it was a combination of state funding and “thought- ful reductions” that helped bridge the gap. “Like many districts across Texas, we faced continued pressure from rising operational costs [and] in ation,” Berger said. In Alvin ISD, which approved a balanced budget in June, Chief Financial O cer Daniel Combs said the district was “so grateful” for the money
SOURCES: ALVIN AND PEARLAND ISDS, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE COMMUNITY IMPACT
froze one program to fund another,” Popinski said. However, lawmakers and dozens of school asso- ciations across the state praised the bill, with some calling it a “lifeline” for cash-strapped schools. Stay tuned Friendswood ISD is expected to approve its budget Aug. 25, Communication Specialist So a Armintor said. O cials declined to comment on the e ects the bill had on the budget until then.
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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD MANVEL EDITION
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