Texans are proud. We love our state. Our pride runs deep from the Red River to the Rio Grande and across the 1,200+ school districts and charters that educate 5.4 million students. We love coming out on top. But among all 50 states, we are near the bottom of the barrel when it comes to public education funding.

Texas is touted as having the 8th-largest economy in the world. According to the Office of Governor Abbott, Texas’ $2.9 trillion economy is larger than those of Russia, Canada, Italy, and other countries. Our state is an economic powerhouse, so why are our schools underfunded? 

In 2025, the 89th Legislative Session gave Texas public schools a much-publicized $8.5 billion in school funding, but it would have taken $19.6 billion in order to maintain Texas’ 2019 purchasing power. 

Our public schools are educating the next generation of Texans destined to join our workforce, and our P-Tech and CTE Programs, dual credit, and AP classes available across Texas are shaping the people who will work to create and maintain our state’s future economy. 

But did you know that Texas ranks among the bottom 10 in the nation for per-pupil funding? Doesn’t Texas deserve to be at least middle-of-the-road? What would it take for Texas to rank 25th in the nation in per-pupil student funding? What would it take to be average? 

Our schools serve a diverse state. And the nation’s future workforce is here in Texas — 10% of all U.S. public school students attend public schools here in Texas. 

• Nearly 243,000 children attend pre-K in Texas public schools, more than any other state in the U.S.
• Texas has over 900,000 rural K-12 students, representing about 17% of the state’s student population. This is more than any other state.
• At the same time, 16 Texas school districts educate more than 50,000 students. This is 1,340,384 students, or 24.18% of the student population. 
• Texas is also home to 43 of the nation’s 200 largest school districts — dramatically more than any other state.

And Texas is #1 in… 

Oil and Gas Production 

Wind Power Production 

Cattle Production 

Cotton Production 

Wool Production 

Aerospace Innovation 

Fortune 500 Companies 

Fastest Growing Cities 

Medical Center Sites 

Cross-Border Trade 

And when it comes to technology and innovation, Texas is a growing hub, especially in cities like Austin and Dallas. We’re also a leading state in crypto mining. Sports and entertainment even have a home-field advantage over public education, with our top-ranked teams and a culture centered on sports, rodeos, and major entertainment venues that further fuel the Texas economy. 

Texas should follow no state in education opportunities. Our students and our communities deserve more funding to move up to the “middle of the road” in school funding rankings. 

What would it take for Texas to rank 25th in the nation in per-pupil student funding? 

We believe that a big move from the bottom 10 to at least 25th in the nation in per-pupil funding will take a bold, enduring investment in the future of every Texas student. Learn more about the proposed public education and workforce endowment and what it could give Texas public education. 

It is time our investment in public education reflected our same Texas-sized ambition. A bottom-10 ranking isn’t just a number; it’s the gap between our children’s potential and the resources they need to thrive. By fully investing in our public schools, we ensure every student—from our smallest rural towns to our largest urban centers—gets a quality education and the chance to achieve the Modern American Dream. Our kids deserve more than just an “average” shot at success—they deserve a state that invests in them as much as it believes in them.