New data from the Texas Education Agency shows Texas public schools spent $104.9 billion on K-12 education during the 2024-2025 school year.
The TEA’s latest actual financial reports put total expenditures at $104.89 billion across all funds, or $18,972 per pupil for the state’s 5,528,915 enrolled students. That total includes local property taxes, state funding and federal dollars spent by more than 1,200 school districts and charter schools on salaries, classroom materials, transportation, debt service and facilities.
The scale stands out because the $104 billion figure exceeds the entire state budgets of 47 other states. Texas operates the nation’s second-largest public school system, and the new numbers offer the most current snapshot of actual spending rather than budgeted amounts.
The data arrives as Texas continues to see steady enrollment growth and as lawmakers implement recent investments approved by the 89th Legislature, including billions more for teacher and staff pay raises, special education reforms and rising operational costs.
Officials compile the figures each year through the Public Education Information Management System to give taxpayers and policymakers a clear view of how education dollars flow. The reports do not include final audited adjustments, but they represent the most complete picture available of district-level spending for the school year that just ended.
The release is expected to add fuel to ongoing statewide conversations about school funding levels, efficiency and student outcomes.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
The scale stands out because the $104 billion figure exceeds the entire state budgets of 47 other states.
The scale stands out because the $104 billion figure exceeds the entire state budgets of 47 other states.
