“It is more important than ever for our AHISD community to be actively involved through ongoing communication with our state leaders regarding the needs of our students and staff.” - Dr. Dana Bashara, Superintendent

Due to inaction in the 88th Legislative Session to adequately fund public schools beyond the 2019 Basic Allotment, the Budget Committee of the AHISD Board of Trustees convened several times to develop a plan to cut the operating budget by $5 million for the 2025-2026 school year. This is on top of cuts made during the 2024-2025 school year. Review the overview of budget reductions. 


The 89th Legislative Session & School Finance

The 89th Texas Legislative Session ended on Monday, June 2. The Governor has until June 22 to sign or veto bills. Any bill not vetoed by that date became law, with or without the Governor’s signature.

We began the 89th Legislative Session clear that it would take an increase of the Basic Allotment (BA) to $1,340 to keep even with 2019 funding levels in terms of spending power because of the impacts of inflation and other cost drivers.

After public advocacy, House members arrived at a $395 increase to the BA in the version of House Bill 2 (the school finance bill) passed by the House. When it was clear that the Senate did not want to increase the BA and wanted to restrict new funding only to particular areas, public advocacy led to the creation of the new Allotment for Basic Costs and the new Staff Retention Allotment to provide a bit more flexibility than the Senate’s original proposal. The amounts of these new allotments, however, are NOT nearly enough to catch up 2019 purchasing power eroded by inflation, but they are the results of many hours of advocacy work.

The final version of HB2 that passed did NOT solve the structural causes of district deficits and the budget cuts Alamo Heights ISD identified earlier this year. We are glad it is more than $0, which is what the 88th Legislative Session added to school funding, but we are definitely not out of the woods.
 

How to Make A Difference
 
Determine who represents you, based on your home address, using this “Who Represents Me“ finder. Follow them on social media

You can also reach out to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and House and Senate members using this Contact Information Guide.

Phone calls are more effective than emails. Use this suggested script as a framework when you reach out to the offices of our elected officials. Ask them to support AHISD schools and public schools in general.


How to Stay Informed

Review the AHISD Legislative Priorities adopted by the Board of Trustees. 

Download this flyer to learn about the funding needs in AHISD.


Additional Resources

Alamo Heights ISD partners with organizations to raise awareness about the importance of advocacy and voting, and to offer resources to staff and the community.

Texas School Coalition
Raise Your Hand Texas