The Tomball ISD special education teacher picks out her supplies based on what she knows her students need to effectively learn, whether that be sequin fabric to touch or a small trampoline to jump.
But with more students walking through Webb’s doors each year, more supplies need to be purchased, more staff members need to be hired and trained and more resources, such as dyslexia services, need funding. Teachers like Webb are hoping the newly passed House Bill 2, which provides $850 million in special education funding to schools, can help with that.
What you need to know
Students who require special education increased at Magnolia and Tomball ISDs by 78% and 86%, respectively, between the 2018-19 and 2023-24 school years, per Texas Education Agency data.
With the growth, some districts saw a gap between the cost of services and the actual funds available. In a 2023 report, advocacy group Disabilities Rights Texas noted that Texas educational agencies needed $6.3 billion for special education programs in 2020-21. The state paid for $4 billion.
Some Texas schools will see relief after Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 2 on June 4, which will spend $850 million on allocating special education funding based on students’ individual needs, rather than the instructional setting.
The new funding won’t be allocated until the 2026-27 school year, per the TEA. However, the new funding might not be enough to close the funding gap, officials said.
MISD Chief Financial Officer Erich Morris said HB 2 will provide the district with an additional $600,000, bringing the total state funding to around $17.3 million. However, the current special education budget is $22.2 million, forcing MISD to find local funds for the shortfall, Morris said.
TISD officials said they hope to benefit from additional funding during the 2026-27 school year, but didn’t provide specifics at this time.
TISD and MISD aren’t alone, as TEA data shows that the number of students receiving special education services across the entire state nearly doubled in the last decade.
Since removing the cap on the number of students a district could classify as needing special education in 2017, the number of special education students has increased statewide, according to previous Community Impact reporting. For the 2023-24 school year, 14% of Texas’ total public school and public charter school students received special education services.
The average number of students receiving special education services nationwide is 15% of all public school students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Previous Community Impact reporting also found that all 28 districts across the Greater Houston area saw a rise in students receiving special education services compared to five school years ago. According to TEA data released March 24 and May 9, dyslexia and autism are the most common disorders measured in students in the state and in Region 4—which covers TISD, while Region 6 covers MISD. Regions 4 and 6 are education service centers that provide services to school districts.
While the rising need for special education services reflects broader state and national trends, TISD and MISD officials said the rise is due to overall enrollment growth in their districts. TISD’s Chief Academic Officer Michael Webb and Director of Special Services Keri Williams also said the state changes in the assessment method for students with dyslexia and learning disabilities have “significantly impacted the rapid increase in special education enrollment.”
MISD officials said they’ve seen a rise in the number of students qualifying for dyslexia services, and the district is in a region where parents have access to outside resources for their children, which contributed to the overall growth.
- “The funding is really exciting because I’m hoping that we’re able to open more structured learning lab rooms across the district.” —Christina Webb, Tomball ISD structured learning lab teacher
- “The increase in teacher pay ... will also assist ... in the recruitment and retention of quality staff.” —Michael Holland, Region 6 Education Service Center executive director
Wrapped up in the HB 2 special education funding is $1,000 set aside for each child’s initial special education evaluation, according to the TEA. The state funding given will also be based on the intensity of the service a child needs.
In a December 2022 report, the Texas Commission on Special Education Funding said the new intensity-based funding model would “effectively account for the unique, individualized needs of students with disabilities.”
TISD and MISD officials said both districts will develop more specific plans for the funds closer to the 2026-27 school year but they continue to plan for the future.
TISD officials said the district’s $429.1 million bond passed in May will provide program funding for its students with disabilities aged 18-21.
“We work closely with a demographer to plan for continued enrollment growth, which informs our staffing and resource decisions,” MISD Chief Communications Officer Denise Meyers said in an email.
Region 4 officials declined to comment. Meanwhile, Region 6 Executive Director Michael Holland said the education service center will have internal training for its staff to help understand HB 2’s changes.
Reporter Angela Bonilla contributed to this report.
