TASBO surveyed 313 school districts on their financial positions. The results underscore the pressing financial challenges confronting Texas school districts.
The 2024 TASBO School Finance Survey gathered responses from 313 districts, reflecting 54% of the state's students. Notable findings reveal that nearly 80% of respondents face challenges with deficit budgets or insufficient resources, a concern ranking among the top three challenges for half of them. While less than a third reported deficit budgets for FY 23, over half anticipate deficits for FY 24.
Looking ahead to FY 2025, more than half of surveyed districts anticipate implementing budget cuts, with many also needing to use fund balances. Additionally, 43% of districts are presently undergoing significant cuts. Potential measures to address financial constraints include staff reallocation, revising staffing formulas, eliminating contract services, reducing department budgets, curtailing custodial and travel services, trimming online services/software, and staff reductions through attrition. This survey underscores the pressing financial challenges confronting Texas school districts.