Editor's note: This article has been updated to include fiscal year 2024-25 budget data from Klein ISD.

Public school districts across the Greater Houston area are facing general fund shortfalls for fiscal year 2024-25, with Houston and Cy-Fair ISDs expecting the biggest gaps.

Current situation

Going into the 2024-25 school year—set to begin in August—many public school district officials and school boards across the Greater Houston area have begun discussing their districts’ budgets. Several school districts are facing financial hardships due to factors such as increased inflation, lowered enrollment and a lack of funding approved for public school districts during the 88th Texas Legislature.

Of the 16 Greater Houston-area school districts covered by Community Impact, officials for 11 districts said they are expecting budget shortfalls in FY 2024-25. The districts with the largest anticipated FY 2024-25 budget shortfalls are:
When the FY 2024-25 shortfalls are adjusted for 2023-24 student enrollment counts—the latest data available from the Texas Education Agency—districts with some of the highest shortfalls change. The top anticipated budget shortfalls per student are:
  • Houston ISD with a $2,444 shortfall per student
  • Cy-Fair ISD with a $1,170 shortfall per student
  • Spring ISD with a $737 shortfall per student
  • Klein ISD with a $678 shortfall per student
  • Montgomery ISD with a $439 shortfall per student
Also of note


As previously reported by Community Impact, Greater Houston-area school districts that are anticipating a balanced FY 2024-25 budget or a budget surplus include:Greater Houston-area school districts that have not yet discussed a budget balance include:Stay tuned

All of the Greater Houston-area school districts covered by Community Impact have yet to finalize and approve FY 2024-25 budgets. For updates on the district budgets, please keep an eye out for future coverage.