The Texas Education Agency asked state lawmakers for $97.3 billion to fund public education in the 2028-29 biennium during a budget hearing on Tuesday, September 29, Community Impact reported. That is up from roughly $91 billion in the current budget.
Education Commissioner Mike Morath told lawmakers the agency is “largely a pass-through vehicle to fund schools around the state of Texas,” with most of the request flowing to districts through the Foundation School Program rather than staying at the agency.
The 3 Percent Exemption
Gov. Greg Abbott and legislative leaders had directed state agencies to trim their budget requests by 3 percent. Public education funding was exempted from that instruction, which is why the agency’s request rose rather than fell.
Pushback at the Hearing
Yulissa Chavez of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities testified that a $55 increase in the basic allotment “is not tangible” and does not meet what schools need.
Why It Matters Here
Humble ISD, New Caney ISD and Sheldon ISD are all funded through the Foundation School Program, so the size of the state appropriation and the basic allotment set inside it determine how much per-student money reaches Lake Houston area classrooms.
