Budgets tighten for ISDs as school options grow From the cover
By the numbers
The overview
District transfers Students leaving PfISD to attend other public, charter or private schools has increased by over 200%.
Despite growth in the area population, enrollment for PfISD has remained largely unchanged, while the number of students leaving each year for charter schools has tripled. PfISD saw the number of students leaving the district grow from 1,762 in the 2012-13 school year to 5,398 in the 2022-23 school year, while enrollment has only grown by around 2,000 students during the past 10 years. Many neighboring districts, including Round Rock ISD, are seeing this trend. Hutto ISD is also seeing a larger percentage of children transferring out year-over-year; however because of the district’s fast-growing population enrollment has continued to increase every year. Students at HISD grew from 5,754 to 9,620 in the last decade, while the number of students transferring out of the district entirely rose from 449 to 977.
Community Impact analyzed data from Texas Education Agency, the U.S. Census Bureau and withdrawals from local school districts to learn where students are going. Overwhelmingly, data indicates families are choosing charter schools. In the last decade, four charter schools opened in North Austin suburbs: Harmony and Idea public schools, BASIS Texas Charter Schools and Valor North Austin. Another Harmony campus is also under construction between Round Rock and Georgetown. These join the previously established Meridian World School and Gateway College Preparatory School. Transfer data from the TEA shows 19% of students enrolled in Pflugerville ISD in the 2022-23 school year left the district for charter or public schools in a different district. New educational options are not limited to charter schools. New private schools, such as Crosslife Christian Academy in Pflugerville, and homeschooling groups have also been formed. Census Bureau data shows that about 39,000 school-aged children live within PfISD’s boundaries. The district’s enrollment for the 2022-23 school year was 25,445, which means the district captured about 65% of possible students in the area. No Texas agency tracks private or homeschool students, but this data shows about 8,000 of those children are choosing one of these options. Dana Martin chose to enroll her children at Goodwater Montessori, where she says her older son is thriving. “How can you be testing so low, but so bored and not being challenged?” Martin said, referencing her child’s time in public school. “He wasn’t getting his needs met at all.”
Transfers in
Transfers out
5,398
0 1.5K 3K 4.5K 6K
564
Students transferring from PfISD into charter schools and other school districts
Charter schools
School districts
2022-23 4,591
728
Top schools PfISD students left for in 2022-’23
1,850
Idea Public Schools
627
NYOS Charter School
Enrollment decline In 10 years, PfISD enrollment has slowed. Enrollment Census total school- age population (5-19)
Harmony Science Academy 581
394
Austin ISD
256
KIPP Texas Public School
50K
237
BASIS Texas
39,215
Number of students
40K
Student withdrawals to private and homeschools
30K
Withdrawals are self-reported and may not represent the total number of students leaving for home or private school.
20K
25,445
10K
Homeschools
Private schools
2022-23
205
13
0
SOURCES: PFLUGERVILLE ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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