Pflugerville ISD in the Austin area is looking at shuttering one elementary school to save money, but it’s not the only district considering closures. Declining enrollment and stagnant state funding are leaving many districts with tight budgets and in some cases budget deficits.
Republicans are wrestling over how much of the state’s nearly $33 billion budget surplus to spend on property taxes. Democrats have their own ideas about what to do with the cash.
The district expected student enrollment to grow by 2.5% this year, but that figure has doubled. School officials are concerned that more students won’t lead to more state money though, because Texas funds schools based on attendance not enrollment.