How much federal funding San Antonio school districts get

Axios

19-05-2025

Local school districts in Texas are struggling with funding deficits and could face more shortfalls under a Trump administration plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
Why it matters: As the White House signals that less help could be coming, Texas public school districts are closing campuses while facing teacher shortages and falling school performance ratings.
The big picture: Education has been a focus of the Texas Legislature this year. Gov. Greg Abbott this month signed legislation creating a $1 billion private school voucher program.
Lawmakers are also advancing long-sought legislation to bolster public school funding. The Texas House last month passed House Bill 2, which would spend nearly $8 billion to increase per-student funding by $395, among other measures. The Senate last week released its counter-proposal, which would increase per-student funding by just $55, per the Texas Tribune.
Reality check: It's unclear precisely how the potential demise of the Education Department will affect federal funding to local school systems. The department is the primary source of federal money to local schools, but not the only one.
Zoom in: Public schools across Texas receive about $13.4 billion in funding from federal sources, per Census Bureau data. That's about $439 per person, making Texas No. 9 in the nation for per person federal school funding.
Northside ISD, San Antonio's largest school district, gets about 15% of its revenue from federal sources. That's more than $219 million.
Between the lines: Nationally, federal funds now make up an average of about 14% of a public school system's budget, with more typically going to lower-income areas.
That plays out in San Antonio. On the South Side, Harlandale, South San and Somerset ISDs bring in more federal revenue than local revenue.
Alamo Heights ISD, a wealthy North Side district, receives just 6% of its revenue from federal funding, while Edgewood ISD on the city's near West Side gets 42%.
Other area districts counted federal funding among their revenue in 2023:
Medina Valley ISD: 10%
East Central ISD: 16.5%
North East ISD: 17%
Judson ISD: 17%
Southside ISD: 21%
Somerset ISD: 22%
San Antonio ISD: 26%
Harlandale ISD: 27%
South San ISD: 30.5%
What they're saying: In Edgewood ISD, federal funds support afterschool instruction and professional development for educators, as well as a special education program and Head Start and Early Head Start programs, Myrna Martinez, Edgewood's superintendent of business operations, tells Axios in a statement.
"Losing this support would have a profound impact not only on the district but also on the many families who depend on these early learning opportunities," Martinez says.
"No matter the challenges, Edgewood ISD will continue to prioritize student success and provide every opportunity to ensure their future."
The other side: Trump's order to close the Education Department is a step toward fulfilling one of his campaign promises: removing federal oversight of states' public education systems.