The Challenge with the Education System in Texas
Texas spends more on public education than any state except California — over $105 billion a year. Reading scores are at their lowest level in NAEP history. The funding system is misaligned with student outcomes. This page lays out the data.
Outcomes Don’t Match the Investment
If Texas were a country, it would be the 8th largest economy in the world. By that standard, our public schools should be among the best on Earth.
3
out
of
10
Only
Texas students will finish college within 6 years.
- Texas should be the greatest place in America to
raise a child - Schools should be the safest place on earth for kids
- Deep literacy and mastery of math are pathways to
freedom - Transparency is a basic right of taxpayers and parents
- Choices and optionality drive intrinsic motivation, quality,
and performance - Texas schools should rank #1 on The Nation’s Report
Card, which is a measure of reading and math
achievement - Schooling should be highly personalized and funds
should follow kids
Source: Helping More Students Reach Graduation – THECB Data
Texas STAAR Test Results
Spring 2026
Overall Grades 3–8 + High School Exit Exam Scores
Meets or Masters Content
Math
%
Reading/
Language Arts
%
Social
Studies
%
Science
%
Source: PEIMS, TEA
The Math
Capital outlay per student is up 196% in ten years. Debt service is up 81%. Operating expenses are up 44%. Enrollment is up 5.9% over 10 years, but went down for the first time in the last year. The gap between investment and student achievement is the problem worth solving.
Capital Outlay
%
VS ONLY
Student Enrollment
%
In 2026, enrollment declined 1.4%.
196% – Capital Outlay
81% – Debt Service
77% – Special Education Expenses
60% – Fund Balance
44% – Operating Expenses
37% – Consumer Price Index
30% – SCE Programs
6% – Student Enrollment
Source: TEA/PEIMS
School Level Spending
Untied to Outcomes
The funds districts already receive are not flowing to the classroom — they are flowing to the org chart. Per-student, professional support staff pay is up 54% in ten years. Administrative staff pay is up 47%. Inflation (CPI) is up 37%.
Inflation
%
VS ONLY
Teacher pay
%
54% Professional Support Staff
47% – Administration Staff
37% – Consumer Price Index (inflation)
28% – Teacher pay
6% – Students
Source: PEIMS, TEA
Convinced? Let’s fix it together.
Academic Outcomes
Texas Literacy: A Foundational Skill in Decline
Texas’s 4th-grade reading score is 212 (rank: 37th). 8th-grade reading score is 252 (rank: 44th). The state’s average reading level is 6th grade. Skilled labor jobs require an 8th-grade reading level. Most knowledge work requires at least 10th.
4th Grade Reading Average Scores
4th Grade Ranking
th
8th Grade Reading Average Scores
8th Grade Ranking
th
Source: PEIMS, TEA
How Texas Stacks Up Against Other States
In 4th-grade reading, Texas ranks 37th — behind Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and the U.S. average. In 8th-grade reading, Texas ranks 44th. Texas leads in 4th-grade math (rank 8) — that lead erodes to 34th by 8th grade. Texas students start strong, then fall behind as they move through the system.
Reading / 4th Grade
Average Scores
Reading / 8th Grade
Average Scores
Legend
Texas
US National
California
Florida
Massachusetts
New York
Math / 4th Grade
Average Scores
Math / 8th Grade
Average Scores
Source: PEIMS, TEA
Spending vs Outcomes
Spending went up. Scores went down.
TOTAL K-12 SPENDING
8TH GRADE SCORES
Source: PEIMS/ERG
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