Funding, Enrollment & Teachers

A thriving public school system requires sufficient funding, robust student enrollment and effective teachers

The COVID-19 pandemic upended student enrollment and had a significant effect on teachers just as HB3 increased funding to public schools. 

Why school funding, enrollment, and teachers matter to Houston

Public schools need students, teachers and money. School funding formulas are notoriously complex, but they are still tied to attendance rates derived from student enrollment. The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant declines in student enrollment in Harris County, which led to concerns over future funding. That funding determines how much Houston-area schools can spend on essentials like textbooks, staff, computers and even facility maintenance. Recent research has shown high school graduation rates increase by about seven percentage points for all students — and roughly 10 percentage points for students from low-income families — for every 10% increase in per-pupil spending.1

Teachers, of course, are essential to student learning.2 When students are educated by teachers who are supported, well-compensated and experienced, they have better academic outcomes that can persist over time — they have better academic outcomes, are more likely to succeed in future academic work, are more likely to graduate from high school,3 and are more likely to enroll in higher education.4 And while teachers were leaving the profession prior to the challenges COVID-19 brought, the teacher shortage has only worsened since then.

When schools, students, and teachers are equipped with the resources they need in order to thrive, the foundation of the entire public school system is strengthened; consequently, so is the future of our region.

The data

School funding is on the rise, but per pupil spending in Houston’s three-county area lags that of the state

How does school funding affect students? Funding is critical for student success. Recent research has shown high school graduation rates increase by about seven percentage points for all students — and roughly 10 percentage points for students from low-income families — for every 10% increase in per-pupil spending.6

In 2019, the U.S. spent around $13,187 per pupil (costs associated with instruction, student support services, and payroll for public pre-K-12 schools), according to the Census’ Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Where does Texas rank in school funding per child? According to the Census Bureau, average per pupil spending in Texas is well below the national average at $9,827.7 Compared to the other 50 states and District of Columbia, Texas ranks 44th on this measure.

Texas ranks 44th in average per pupil spending

Recognizing this critical lag, in 2019, Texas signed into law House Bill 3 (HB3), a school finance bill with four major policy goals: (1) supporting teachers and rewarding teacher excellence; (2) improving student outcomes; (3) increasing funding and improving equity; and (4) reducing and reforming property taxes and recapture.

Total operating expenditures per student8 in Texas increased nearly $400 (inflation-adjusted) within one year of HB3 becoming law, to $10,406 in 2019-20 from $10,036 in 2018-19 in 2020 inflation-adjusted dollars, according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Per pupil school spending in Greater Houston public schools has historically lagged the state average. Expenditure data for 2019-20 was not available at the county level at the time of publication, but in 2018-19, public schools spent $9,808 per pupil in Harris County, $9,721 in Fort Bend County, and $9,259 in Montgomery County — lower than the state average that year by 2.3%, 3.1%, and 7.7%, respectively.

Changes to Texas’ state funding formula and recapture brought about by HB3 means per pupil spending in most districts should increase, though it’s not yet clear if the region will catch up to the state average.

COVID-19 relief funds for schools

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government passed a series of bills to help the country recover from the pandemic, with specific provisions for schools and students. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA Act), and American Rescue Plan (ARP) all included billions of dollars to stabilize education budgets amid losses in state revenue.

In order to receive the full amount, each state was required to submit plans detailing how they will use the funds. Texas plans to use its dollars to address lost instructional time and support student mental health needs. These COVID-recovery dollars were given to the Texas Education Agency, the state’s department of education, with the requirement that at least 90% of funds go directly to local school districts. School districts must use at least 20% of the money they receive to directly address learning loss.

Student enrollment in the region falls because of the pandemic

Enrollment refers to the number of students enrolled in public schools (including charters) from early childhood education (pre-K) through 12th grade as of the last Friday in October.

Enrollment in Texas public schools reached nearly 5.4 million students in the 2020-21 school year, an increase of 1.3 million students, or 34%, since 1999-2000, but still a decline from the previous year. Overall public school enrollment in Texas fell 2.2% between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years — the first decline in the state since 1987-88, when the Texas Education Agency began collecting data in its current system, PEIMS — an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.9

Across the three-county area, 1,112,225 students were enrolled in public schools for the 2020-21 academic year. While this represents a 1.4% increase since 2014-15, it’s a decline of 2.6% from the previous year. Enrollment in Harris County fell 3.3% from the previous year, but Fort Bend and Montgomery counties did not see significant changes. Even excluding the 24% decline in pre-K enrollment, the number of students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade in Harris County fell by 2.2%.

Student enrollment in Harris County fell 3.3% in 2020-21 from the previous year.

Enrollment by race/ethnicity

Public schools in Texas and in Houston’s three-county region serve a diverse population of students — the majority of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), consistent with the racial/ethnic composition of Greater Houston’s population.

In the 2020-21 school year in Texas, Hispanic students accounted for the largest group of total enrollment (52.9%), followed by white (26.5%), Black (12.7%), Asian-American (4.7%), and multiracial (2.7%) students. Among the three local counties, Montgomery has the highest percentage of students who are white (48.1%), and Fort Bend has the highest share of Asian American students (19.4%). This reflects the demographic composition of these counties.

Enrollment by Socioeconomic Status

School districts are required to collect and report the socioeconomic status of each student to the Texas Education Agency for purposes of the annual state accountability ratings and for federal reporting. A student who is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or for other public assistance is classified as “economically disadvantaged.”

In 2020-21, the majority (60%) of students enrolled in Texas public schools were classified as economically disadvantaged. Despite an overall decline in total student enrollment from the previous school year, this figure remained flat. While the share of economically disadvantaged students has grown throughout the three-county area, it remains highest in Harris County, where 67% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged, higher than the state average.

The majority (60%) of students enrolled in Texas public schools were classified as economically disadvantaged

English Learners

Students whose primary language is not English and who are in the process of acquiring English are classified as English learners (ELs) or as Limited English Proficient (LEP). ELs are a diverse group of students with varying levels of English proficiency. Students classified as ELs are eligible to participate in language assistance programs that help them attain English proficiency and support core academic programs. Research has shown that participation in enhanced language programs not only helps to improve students’ English language skills, but also helps to improve educational outcomes.10

The proportion of students classified as EL has remained relatively flat in Fort Bend County and has increased slightly in Harris and Montgomery counties since 2014-15. However, the number of EL students has grown significantly since then. Between 2014-15 and 2020-21, the number of EL students increased 22% in Fort Bend County (19,643 in 2020-21); 9% in Harris County (235,528); 43% in Montgomery County (20,170); and 17% in Texas overall (1,108,827).

The number of English Learners continues to grow in our region – increasing to 275,341 students in 2020-21 across the three counties.

Many students who begin school as English learners reclassify as English proficient in a timely manner and go on to achieve academic success.11 However, students who remain EL for more than five years, known as long-term English learners (LTELs), tend to experience negative outcomes such as lower test scores, higher risk of dropping out, and lower on-time high school graduation rates.12

According to a 2021 study from the Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium, not only are there more LTELs in Texas, EL students are more likely to be LTEL now than in the 2000-01 academic year.13 This report found two-thirds of students who began first grade in 2014-15 as an English learner in Texas public schools did not reclassify within five years compared to one-third in 2000-01. EL student outcomes in Greater Houston public schools tend to be better than that of the state average, with about 55% of students reclassifying within five years in 2014-15. However, that still means nearly half of EL first-graders in the region had not reclassified in that timeframe.

Special Education

Building off decades-old requirements around educating and supporting special education students, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), reauthorized in 2004 and amended in 2015, makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and requires states to provide special education and related services to those children.

However, students with disabilities in Texas have not been receiving the services, therapies, and education they require because of a 2004 policy set by the Texas Education Agency that capped the statewide percentage of students who could receive special education services at 8.5%. This policy, uncovered by a Houston Chronicle investigation in 2016, was banned in 2017 by state lawmakers. 

Then in 2018, the U.S. Department of Education found Texas had violated federal law by setting this cap. This report, an important piece of federal oversight, found that Texas was illegally withholding services from students who were eligible for them and should have been receiving them. This meant that several years of cohorts of students were denied the full educational opportunity to which they are entitled. As part of this report, federal administrators ordered Texas to create a plan to correct the problem, starting with identifying children who had been excluded and making up for their missed services. But a follow-up investigation with the Houston Chronicle and Houston Public Media found that the effects of the cap linger, and children continue to be shut out of their right to special education. In August 2021, the Department of Education found that the Texas Education Agency had failed to implement the necessary changes to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Learn more about this important issue by exploring the Houston Chronicle investigation here.

Recent data from the Texas Education Agency show the percentage of students served in special education programs has increased since the Houston Chronicle investigation came out in 2016, but remains lower than national averages. In 2020-21, the percentage of students enrolled in special education programs was 11.7% in Fort Bend County, 10.0% in Harris County, 9.8% in Montgomery County, and 11.3% in Texas overall. While national 2020-21 data is not yet available, in 2019-20 the national rate was 14.4%, according to the 2020 Digest of Education Statistics.

Between 2014-15 and 2020-21, the number of students in special education programs increased 88% in Fort Bend County (14,037 in 2020-21); 27% in Harris County (87,558); 41% in Montgomery County (11,306); and 34% in Texas overall (605,043).

Teacher experience in Harris County lags the state, which lags the country

Established research has shown that teachers are the No. 1 predictor of student success inside the classroom.14 They are critical and foundational to delivering a high-quality education. Students who have consistent access to excellent teachers have better academic outcomes, are more likely to succeed in future academic work, are more likely to graduate from high school,15 and are more likely to enroll in higher education.16

Teacher Experience

Similar to professionals in other occupations, as teachers gain experience, they become more effective. As teachers have time to master their craft, their students show academic gains. These gains are more pronounced in the first decade of teaching, but extend through the second and third decade as well, and their students also have better attendance and score higher on standardized tests (one measure of learning).17

In Texas, students with teachers who have at least 4 to 5 years of experience are more likely to meet grade-level standards in STAAR tests than students with less experienced teachers, as shown in the chart above for third and eighth grade.

Public school teachers in Texas had an average of 11.2 years of teaching experience in 2020-21. This is below the national average for public school teachers of 13.8 years in 2017-18 (most recent data available).

Average years of experience for public school teachers in Texas in 2020-21 was 2.5 years lower than the national average in 2017-18, suggesting teachers in Texas are more likely to leave their profession earlier.

Across the state, average teacher experience has increased slightly from 10.9 in 2017 to 11.2 in 2021. While the average years of teaching experience in Harris County remains below the state average, it has increased half a year to 10.5 years in 2021 from 10.0 in 2017.

More than a third of teachers (34.6%) across the state have five or fewer years of experience, with similar percentages across the three-county area. This is more or less the same as the 2017 share of 35.8%. Among Houston’s three-county region, students in Harris County are more likely to be educated by new teachers than those in Fort Bend or Montgomery counties. Given the size of Harris County, this pushes the overall average for the three-county region above that of the state.

Research also shows that Black and Latino students are most likely to be in classrooms with teachers who are in their first year of teaching or their first five years of teaching (known as “novice teachers”). The Education Trust finds that about 30% of Black students18 and 30% of Latino19 students in Texas attend schools with high percentages (> 20%) of novice teachers.

30% of Black students and 30% of Latino students in Texas attend schools with high percentages (> 20%) of novice teachers.

Teacher Demographics

Students are also less likely to be taught by teachers of color. This is important because being taught by a diverse teacher workforce has benefits for all students, not just those of color, but the benefits tend to be more pronounced for students of color. Students who are taught by a diverse workforce show better academic outcomes, lower suspension rates, and higher graduation rates.20

Students who are taught by a diverse workforce show better academic outcomes, lower suspension rates, and higher graduation rates.

Compared to the racial/ethnic makeup of the student body, the teacher workforce in the Texas public school system is far less diverse. While the vast majority of teachers in Texas are white, diversity is slowly increasing. Between the 2012-13 and the 2020-21 school years, the percentage of white teachers declined from 63% to 57%, while the share of Hispanic teachers increased by 3.5 percentage points to 28%, and the share of Black teachers increased less than two points to 11% in 2020-21.

The teacher workforce in Fort Bend and Harris counties is much more diverse than in Montgomery County and the state. Mirroring larger trends in Greater Houston’s diversity, Harris County’s teacher workforce was the most diverse in the 2020-21 school year, with 47% of teachers being white and about 24% of teachers being Black or Hispanic. Throughout the three-county area, the percentage of Black teachers is twice the 11% state average.

Supporting Teachers

In order for teachers to gain the experience to become more effective, they need support to remain in the profession. Over the past few years, teacher shortages have been a growing concern as educators leave the profession.21 National estimates prior to the pandemic show that between 19% and 30% of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years.22 Attrition rates in urban-area and high-poverty schools are higher than average.23

Teacher turnover rates can provide an indication of the challenges school districts face to replace teachers who may have left the profession or gone to another school district or private schools. The teacher turnover rate has improved since 2017 across the state and in the region. The three-county area has about the same turnover rate as the state at 14%, an improvement from 2017. In the Houston region, turnover rates are highest in Harris County.

Many reasons have been given for this trend,24 including the teacher “pay penalty” which shows that “public school teachers earn 20% less in weekly wages than nonteacher college graduates.” Other research shows the gap widens as teachers remain in the profession.25

The Texas Education Agency determines minimum salary schedules for public school teachers statewide, ranging from $33,660 for first-year teachers to $54,540 for teachers with 20 or more years of experience. After factoring in education and experience, Texas public school teachers earned 21.9% less in weekly wages than similar college graduates in 2019; the national average is 19.2%

Controlling for inflation, Texas public school teacher salaries have increased 3.3% from 2011-12 to 2020-21. However, in 2020-21 the average salary of a public school teacher was $57,641 in Texas and continues to lag the national average of $65,090.

Within Houston’s three-county area, the average base salary is about 5.6% higher than the state average. Fort Bend County offered the region’s highest average base pay during the 2020-21 school year at $61,845 per year. Harris and Montgomery counties paid slightly less at $60,675 and $60,855 per year, respectively, still higher than the state average.

Stress is also a contributing factor teachers cite for leaving the profession.26 A 2013 Gallup poll found that teachers report having some of the highest levels of stress of any profession in the U.S. One of the main factors for beginning teachers to leave within the first year is lack of adequate support from school administration, including training.27 In fact, new teachers who receive little preparation and training are two and a half times more likely to leave after one year.28 Larger class sizes also affect teacher stress.

The ratio of students to teachers in Houston’s three-county area is about one student higher than the state ratio, according to the TEA. The National Center for Education Statistics shows the national average of 16.0 in fall 2018 (the most recent available),at which point the ratio in Texas was 15.1. Within the three-county area, student-teacher ratios vary among school districts. In Montgomery County, Willis ISD has the highest student-teacher ratio at 17.7, while Magnolia ISD has the lowest at 15.0. In Harris County, the lowest student-teacher ratio is in Alief ISD at 12.7 and the highest in Houston ISD at 17.5. In Fort Bend County, the student-teacher ratio is higher in Lamar CISD at 15.8 compared to Stafford ISD at 14.1.

Of course, COVID in Houston added and exacerbated challenges for teachers, who reported higher job-related stress and depression levels than the general public, as they faced the difficult task of teaching both in-person and online learning coupled with long hours and concern for their own health as well as their family’s and students’ health. The Texas Education Agency hopes to curb teacher turnover through HB3’s teacher compensation plan and “pandemic bonuses.” However, teachers say that without other considerations, such as reduced administrative burdens and smaller class sizes, high rates of teacher turnover will continue.

Continue reading about education in Houston on our educational attainment, academic outcomes and post-secondary education pages

Helpful Articles by Understanding Houston:

Resources

References:

  1. C. Kirabo Jackson & Rucker C. Johnson & Claudia Persico. (2015). “The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes: Evidence from School Finance Reforms,” NBER Working Papers 20847, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/20847.html
  2. Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, and Jonah E. Rockoff, (May 2014). “Measuring the Impacts of Teachers II: Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood,” American Economic Review, 104(9) 2633–2679.
  3. Jackson, C. Kirabo. (October 2018) “What Do Test Scores Miss? The Importance of Teacher Effects on Non–Test Score Outcomes.” Journal of Political Economy, 126(5), 2072–2107. https://doi.org/10.1086/699018
  4. Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, and Jonah E. Rockoff, (May 2014).
  5. Baker, B. D. (2017). How money matters for schools. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/how-money-matters-report
  6. C. Kirabo Jackson & Rucker C. Johnson & Claudia Persico. (2015).
  7. This is true even after factoring in cost of living differences. Generally speaking, the cost of living in Texas is about 92% to 95% of the national average. Essentially, when student funding in Texas is increased by 5-8%, the result is still below the national average of $13,187.
  8. This includes all expenditures made for the operations of the school district. Expenditures for debt service and capital outlay are excluded.
  9. Texas Education Agency. (2021). Enrollment in Texas public schools, 2020-21. (Document No. GE21 601 08). Austin, TX. Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/enroll-2020-21.pdf
  10. Genesee, Fred, Kathryn Lindholm-Leary, William Saunders, and Donna Christian. (2005) “English language learners in US schools: An overview of research findings.” Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 10( 4), 363-385.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327671espr1004_2
  11. Phillips, M., Yamashiro, K., & Jacobson, T. (2017). College going in LAUSD: An analysis of college enrollment, persistence, and completion patterns. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Education Research Institute.
  12. Cashiola, L., & Potter, D. (2020). Long-Term English Learners (LTELs): Predictors, Patterns, & Outcomes. Brief 1: Defining LTEL. Houston Education Research Consortium, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University. Retrieved fromhttps://herc.rice.edu/research/long-term-english-learners-ltels-predictors-patterns-outcomes-brief-1-defining-ltel
  13. Cashiola, L., & Potter, D. (2021). Increases in Long-term English learners (LTELs) in Texas. Houston, TX: Houston Education Research Consortium, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University. Retrieved from https://herc.rice.edu/research/increases-long-term-english-learners-texas
  14. Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, and Jonah E. Rockoff, (May 2014).
  15. Jackson, C. Kirabo. (October 2018).
  16. Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, and Jonah E. Rockoff, (May 2014).
  17. Kini, T., & Podolsky, A. (2016) Does Teaching Experience Increase Teacher Effectiveness? A Review of the Research. Palo Alto: Learning Policy Institute.). Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/our-work/publications-resources/does-teaching-experience-increase-teacher-effectiveness-review-research
  18. The Education Trust (2021). Getting Black Students Better Access to Non-Novice Teachers. Retrieved from https://edtrust.org/resource/getting-black-students-better-access-to-non-novice-teachers.
  19. The Education Trust (2021). Getting Latino Students Better Access to Non-Novice Teachers. Retrieved from https://edtrust.org/resource/getting-latino-students-better-access-to-non-novice-teachers.
  20. Forthcoming Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers. Retrieved from https://uh.edu/education/research-convening/
  21. Sutcher, Leib, Linda Darling-Hammond, and Desiree Carver-Thomas. (2016) “A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the US.” Learning Policy Institute, pp. 499-534. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/A_Coming_Crisis_in_Teaching_REPORT.pdf
  22. Podolsky, A., Kini, T., Bishop, J., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2016). Solving the teacher shortage: How to attract and retain excellent educators. Learning Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/solving-teacher-shortage
  23. Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016).
  24. Podolsky, A., Kini, T., Bishop, J., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2016).
  25. Ibid
  26. Carver-Thomas, D., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher turnover: Why it matters and what we can do about it. Learning Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/teacher-turnover-report
  27. Ingersoll, R. (2003). Is There Really a Teacher Shortage?. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/133
  28. Podolsky, A., Kini, T., Bishop, J., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2016).