Education is the bedrock of an informed society and the bridge to self-sufficiency. Every parent in Texas, regardless of their race or circumstance, wants their child to have access to a high-quality education. Parents and community members often assume that every child enrolled in a public school is funded for the full year. While that’s true in most states, it is not in Texas.
The Texas school finance system left nearly 460,000 students uncounted in the 2023-24 school year – or 8% of all students. For perspective, that’s nearly the entire school population of Arkansas.
Undercounts happen because Texas continues to use an archaic method to fund our schools. Instead of using enrollment — the number of actual students served — our state determines funding based on attendance. Currently, only six states use attendance-based funding (CA, ID, KY, MS, MO, TX).
There is no correlation between attendance-based funding and attendance rates. Studies show that attendance is higher when schools create a positive experience and have good relationships with caregiving adults. Schools can strengthen attendance by promoting parent engagement and collaborating with community-based organizations that focus on the social, emotional, and financial wellbeing of students and their families.
Every student, regardless of where they live or their specific needs, should be accounted for in school funding. With the state reporting record levels of cash on hand, it’s time to put kids first and count every student.
