💰 What Is School Funding—and Why It Matters in the School Choice Debate

If you’ve never thought about how public schools get their money, you're not alone. Most people don't know—and that’s by design. But as Texas rolls out major changes to how education is funded through bills like SB2 (School Choice Bill), understanding school funding is one of the most important ways you can protect your neighborhood schools, your tax dollars, and your child’s future.

In this article, we’ll break down:

• What school funding actually is

• Where the money comes from (and where it goes)

• What changes under SB2

• How these changes can affect your child’s classroom, your neighborhood, and your wallet

• What you can do with this knowledge

Let’s start at the beginning.

🧱 What Is School Funding?

“School funding” just means the money that pays for public education.

This includes everything from:

• Teachers’ salaries

• Classroom supplies

• Building maintenance

• Textbooks and technology

• Support staff (nurses, counselors, janitors)

• Buses and transportation

• Special education services

• After-school programs

If you've ever walked into a school and seen a librarian, a security guard, or an art program—those things exist because someone paid for them.

💸 Where Does the Money Come From?

In Texas, public school funding comes from three main sources:

1. Local Property Taxes – The biggest chunk. Your home and business taxes help fund schools in your area.

2. The State of Texas – Provides money to make sure all schools have a minimum level of funding, especially in lower-income areas.

3. The Federal Government – Contributes a smaller portion, usually for specific programs (like school lunch or special education).

When all this money is pooled together, it creates what’s called a school district’s budget.

That budget gets divided based on how many students are enrolled. This is called "per-pupil funding." The more students a school has, the more money it receives.

🧠 This is why enrollment matters. If students leave a public school, the funding leaves with them—even if the school’s fixed costs (like electricity and building maintenance) stay the same.

📉 What Changes Under SB2?

SB2 introduces Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), a system where the state gives some families around $10,000 per child per year to spend on private school tuition or other approved education expenses.

Here’s where things shift:

• That money comes out of the same pool that funds public schools.

• When a student leaves a public school for a private school, their funding doesn’t stay behind to help the school recover—it goes with them.

• This creates a situation where public schools must operate with less money, but the same responsibilities.

That means fewer teachers. Bigger class sizes. Canceled programs. Layoffs. Especially in already under-resourced schools.

📍 Why Does This Matter to You?

You may be thinking, “If I’m not a parent, or if I want to send my child to private school anyway—why should I care?”

Because this isn’t just about schools. It’s about communities.

Here’s how school funding impacts you:

🧑🏽‍🏫 Your Child’s Classroom

• Fewer teachers = less one-on-one attention

• No money for enrichment = fewer electives, no music, no arts

• Support services (counselors, reading specialists) may be cut

🧑🏽‍🌾 Your Neighborhood Jobs

• Schools are major employers: bus drivers, cafeteria workers, aides, custodians, coaches

• Funding cuts lead to layoffs and reduced services

💰 Your Property Taxes

• When public schools lose state dollars, local taxes often rise to make up the gap

• You could be paying more to support fewer services

🏡 Your Local Economy

• Good schools attract families, raise home values, and support stable neighborhoods

• Underfunded schools can cause disinvestment, school closures, and community decline

So even if you never step foot in a school building, you’re impacted by how your local public school is funded.

📢 What Can You Do With This Information?

This isn’t about feeling helpless—it’s about getting informed, then taking action.

Here’s what you can do next:

• Ask your school board how SB2 will impact your district’s budget

• Talk to your child’s teacher or principal about expected cuts or changes

• Contact your local representative and ask how they plan to protect public schools

• Speak with your neighbors about how the funding system works and what’s at stake

• Show up to community meetings, especially when budgets are being discussed

Most importantly: form your own opinion about whether the "solutions" SB2 offers are worth the trade-offs. Then use your voice to shape the outcome.