Since the start of the legislative session, speculation has abounded about how cuts to public education would affect educators' jobs. With the release of the 2011-12 school district employment figures, the Texas Education Agency has an answer. Schools employ about 25,000 fewer employees than they did at this time last year — a 3.8 percent decrease that includes teachers, administrators and other staff.
It will take more to answer how budget cuts have affected the state’s public schools, but the figures provide a window into the kinds of decisions the state’s 1,200-plus school districts and charter schools are making to cope with a $5.4 billion reduction in funding.
Here are some initial takeaways:
- There are fewer teachers in public schools — just under 11,000, about a 3.2 percent decrease.
- The most commonly eliminated positions were those having to do with teacher support — staff members who help educators with professional development outside of the classroom, often filling in for overstretched principals.
- No positions are safe. Districts are trimming staff in all areas, from administrators to librarians to teachers aides, to yes, teachers.
The only other time that the number of teachers has gone down from year to year, according to Ed Fuller, an education professor at Pennsylvania State University and former University of Texas researcher who has analyzed staffing data for every year since 1987, was in 2004, following a nearly $10 billion state budget shortfall. That is as the enrollment in public schools has grown steadily since the early 1990s.
Also: the numbers from the current school year come with the caveat that many districts, depending on their financial status, will undergo further cuts next year.
Using the app
Use the table below to compare the number of FTE* employees between Texas school districts. Use the drop down to select the different criteria. Use the search in the filter box to find your school.
With Fuller's help, we've broken down the vast number of positions reported to the TEA into broader categories.
Most of them are self-explanatory, but a note on the ones that aren't:
-"Specialized educators" include speech and physical therapists, audiologists, interpretors, diagnosticians.
-"District managers" include human resources and business personnel
-"Other district professionals" is a catch all that includes tax assessors and other non-instructional employees.
*FTE is a number that represents employees in a way that makes the count comparable across different contexts. For example, one full-time employee would equal 1.0 FTE. A part-time employee would equal 0.5 FTE. The number of full-time and part-time employees summed equal the FTE.
School District | Region | County | FTE 2011 | FTE 2012 | Rate of Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston ISD | 4 | Harris | 11811.46 | 10920.05 | -7.55% |
| Dallas ISD | 10 | Dallas | 10665.16 | 10276.66 | -3.64% |
| Cypress-Fairbanks ISD | 4 | Harris | 6470.35 | 6243.26 | -3.51% |
| Northside ISD (Bexar) | 20 | Bexar | 6116.92 | 5880.78 | -3.86% |
| Austin ISD | 13 | Travis | 6093.62 | 5757.56 | -5.51% |
| Fort Worth ISD | 11 | Tarrant | 5131.82 | 5126.27 | -0.11% |
| North East ISD | 20 | Bexar | 4376.69 | 4298.96 | -1.78% |
| El Paso ISD | 19 | El Paso | 4398.93 | 4223.10 | -4.00% |
| Fort Bend ISD | 4 | Fort Bend | 4134.51 | 3982.08 | -3.69% |
| Arlington ISD | 11 | Tarrant | 4148.29 | 3931.41 | -5.23% |
| Katy ISD | 4 | Harris | 3868.64 | 3859.87 | -0.23% |
| Plano ISD | 10 | Collin | 4010.78 | 3821.73 | -4.71% |
| Aldine ISD | 4 | Harris | 3963 | 3782.36 | -4.56% |
| Lewisville ISD | 11 | Denton | 3764.62 | 3705.76 | -1.56% |
| Garland ISD | 10 | Dallas | 3711.90 | 3651.10 | -1.64% |
| San Antonio ISD | 20 | Bexar | 3436.77 | 3384.83 | -1.51% |
| Pasadena ISD | 4 | Harris | 3499.67 | 3375.97 | -3.53% |
| Brownsville ISD | 1 | Cameron | 3425.37 | 3303.25 | -3.57% |
| Conroe ISD | 6 | Montgomery | 3191.64 | 3153.20 | -1.20% |
| Ysleta ISD | 19 | El Paso | 3053.71 | 3074.43 | 0.68% |
| Round Rock ISD | 13 | Williamson | 3043.93 | 3001.16 | -1.41% |
| Alief ISD | 4 | Harris | 3037.41 | 2967.65 | -2.30% |
| Klein ISD | 4 | Harris | 2995.24 | 2917.28 | -2.60% |
| Killeen ISD | 12 | Bell | 2821.03 | 2754.92 | -2.34% |
| Frisco ISD | 10 | Collin | 2636.78 | 2655.45 | 0.71% |
| United ISD | 1 | Webb | 2555.81 | 2504.01 | -2.03% |
| Clear Creek ISD | 4 | Galveston | 2629.56 | 2451.45 | -6.77% |
| Mesquite ISD | 10 | Dallas | 2446.60 | 2440.51 | -0.25% |
| Richardson ISD | 10 | Dallas | 2439.48 | 2417.17 | -0.91% |
| Socorro ISD | 19 | El Paso | 2464.17 | 2413.79 | -2.04% |
The Texas Tribune is pleased to provide the opportunity for you to share your observations about this story. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask that you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or wandering away from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of the Tribune, and your real name will be displayed. Thanks for taking time to offer your thoughts.
Comments (7)
Hollis Morton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
District Judge Coker, who has control over peoples lives, should have to read her verdicts off of Hansons second-story so everyone could see what a crook she is. The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct said the Judge did no wrong. The courtroom documents show 258th District Judge Elizabeth Coker, Harris County assistant Dist. Atty. Kaylynn Williford, and Mr. Hanson, Glen conspired to commit property tax fraud that funds the schools in Texas. Every time I look out my window I see the monument to honor judicial corruption. Please see courtroom documents and photos. http://hm21.wordpress.com
Texas Parents Opt Out of State Tests via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Now that there are fewer employees, what about fewer tests?
Laura Bennett
I wish this also showed the number of students per district as well. I think that would make the tool more powerful as a comparison between districts.
Jose Gomez
Let me suggest that one of the best ways to increase the state's educational fund is to cut 10% of the monies allocated to each felon who is in prison for life. It is estimated that over 10,000 felons are incarcerated for life. Of the monies allocated to feed, provide healthcare, and what have you, the governor and the legislature should cut ten (10) percent. These felons already lived their lives. They wasted it by choosing to comit crimes against society. They are already in a "dead end" situation. The only thing these folks are is a financial burden to the state.
If we allocated that 10% to our educational system, the state will have more than enough to provide better schools, higher better quality of teachers, have up-to-date technological equipment such as ipads, etc. The state is spending too much on these folks, they should cut their funding and make it available to our school system.
Governor Perry this is a down to earth suggestion that is worth considering, why not bring it up on your next legislative session.
gypsy314 ne
Texas schools will need even less teachers once the illegal aliens leave our class rooms will be less crowded and our poor will have more money for welfare. Sooner the better.
tgarrettsr billaa
<strong><a href="http://www.tiffanyjewelrypage.com/tiffany-bangles-c-19.html">tiffany bangles</a></strong><br>
<strong><a href="http://www.tiffanyjewelrypage.com/tiffany-bangles-c-19.html">tiffany gold bangles</a></strong><br>
<strong><a href="http://www.tiffanyjewelrypage.com/tiffany-bangles-c-19.html">cheap tiffany bangles</a></strong><br>
<strong><a href="http://www.tiffanyjewelrypage.com/tiffany-bangles-c-19.html">discount tiffany bangle</a></strong><br>
<strong><a href="http://www.tiffanyjewelrypage.com/tiffany-bangles-c-19.html"> buy tiffany bangle</a></strong><br>
.From tickets to the opera to your favorite rock and roll concert for you to even passes in a baseball adventure, they is available online.<br />
<br />
Below are some of the different tickets shoppers are able to find online in discount:<br />
<br />
* Routes.With an entirely host associated with commercial airline carriers offering ones own sites who sometimes give discount passes to individuals that work deals with the air carriers, there's a lot pay full price to fly on an airline.Smart shoppers will likely find admission deals directly from all who have purchased ticket they'll be unable to use.The savings are usually incredible.<br />
<br />
* Broadway clearly show tickets.Tickets meant for shows that are sold out for months could even be found over the internet
Paula Renfro
pretty useless in terms of finding our local schools...no alpha order or order by any other scheme that I can figure out.