Note From The CEO
Dear Friend,
This school year has been one of learning, growth, and opportunity. As it comes to a close, I continue to anchor in the incredible dedication of educators, inspiring progress in schools, and strong community support driving towards a future where every child is served well across the region.
Just a few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to celebrate teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Thousands of educators engaged in our citywide campaign, Houston Loves Teachers, which celebrated and honored them with giveaways and an end-of-year party. Soon after, we highlighted educators and school leaders displaying innovative practices in schools across the city through our inaugural Houston Schools That Inspire. Read more about Teacher Appreciation Week highlights in our Houston Education Spotlight.
We also know that it takes engaged, passionate citizens to uplift schools. And Houstonians continue to express that education is important to them, as reflected in the 2024 release of the Kinder Houston Area Survey. This year, the majority of residents prioritized increased funding for schools. Take a Closer Look at what the survey results tell us about public education in Houston.
As we consider how resources can get allocated in ways that center students with highest need, we have also launched an education series about school finance. Our aim is to help demystify questions like: “How do districts get funded in Texas?” and “Where does the money go?” Check out the first two installments on district revenue and expenditures in By the Numbers.
We hope that these resources enhance your understanding of what’s needed to improve our schools and offer insights into what we can build on to collectively make a lasting impact on public education in Houston.
Sincerely,
CLOSER LOOK
Houston Area Survey and Insights into Public Education
Every year, the Kinder Institute for Research releases the Houston Area Survey, which provides an in-depth look into what Houstonians think and feel about their city. This year’s survey revealed critical insights into how residents view our local economy, housing affordability, climate change, artificial intelligence, and education.
Here are five takeaways on what the survey results tell us about public education in Houston:
As families face income constraints and more students opt for immediate, but lower-wage work after high school, K-12, higher education, and industry must work together to improve outcomes.
Increases in housing may result in increased student mobility, which can be mitigated by more standardized, high quality curriculum across the region.
Houstonians agree that more dollars should go towards schools; we agree and believe these should be targeted towards classrooms and kids.
With a population more aware of racial inequities, districts must double down on supporting a diverse population and targeting students most vulnerable to not being served well.
The rise of artificial intelligence and automation demands that our school system provides foundational academic knowledge, adaptive and critical thinking skills, and digital fluency.
BY THE NUMBERS
Connecting the Dots: District Budgets
Good Reason Houston is starting a new series on district budgets, with a focus on Houston ISD. Over the coming weeks, we will provide in-depth insights into how our public schools are funded, how those resources are allocated, and how those allocation decisions impact students.
The first two installments provide an overview of public school district revenues and expenditures. Here are a few takeaways:
School districts in the United States derive almost all their funding from state and local sources, each providing around 45% of their total funding, with the federal government providing the remaining 10%.
Because Texas ties funding to a set formula, some Houston-area districts may not receive all the funding required to support a diverse student body, as reflected in districts like HISD.
Across the United States, school districts spend around 60% on instruction and most of the remainder, around 35%, on student support services, when accounting for expenses outside of facilities needs.
Increased costs to serve students, resulting from changing student demographics and increased salary demands, combined with the upcoming end of COVID-19-related ESSER financial aid from the federal government, present imminent budget challenges for HISD and others.
Another opportunity to learn more about how public school budgets work is to view a recently hosted webinar by our partner organization, Houstonians for Great Public Schools (Houston GPS). HISD Trustee Sue Deigaard joined Houston GPS Executive Director, Veronica Garcia, to unpack district budgets in ‘Budget Basics: Navigating the Houston ISD Budget.’
HOUSTON EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher Appreciation Week
Houston Loves Teachers celebrated a milestone this month, marking its one-year anniversary during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10)! The week was filled with activities and surprises to honor and support our dedicated educators.
Highlights of the week include:
Provided meals for 18 campuses across the Houston area, ensuring teachers felt appreciated and supported
Unveiled a major transformation of the media center at Alief Learning Center, thanks to the collaboration with Houston Loves Teachers partners
Surprised two teachers and two principals in HISD with $10,000 in DonorsChoose funding, allowing them to enhance their classrooms and educational resources
Presented $1,000 in Visa gift cards to two teachers in Cy-Fair ISD, in partnership with Toshiba, recognizing their exceptional contributions
Hosted a joyful Teacher Appreciation Party at Rockhouse Southern Kitchen, attended by nearly 1,000 educators
Promoted daily giveaways on social media to spread cheer to as many teachers as we could reach
We hope you consider joining us to make next year’s Teacher Appreciation Week even bigger. And don’t wait until next year! Find opportunities to express gratitude to dedicated teachers across our city today.
HOUSTON EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
