February 27, 2020

Fiscal Notes: New Funding for Early Education

(AUSTIN) — In the latest edition of Fiscal Notes, the Comptroller’s office examines an important element of the Texas Legislature’s 2019 overhaul of public education, an investment in early education that totaled an estimated $835 million in the current school year. The Early Education Allotment in House Bill 3 allocated funds to school districts based on their number of economically disadvantaged students and English learners in grades K-3.

The recently released February issue also takes a look at young Texans. According to the Census Bureau, one in every 10 U.S. children lives in Texas, which also has the second-fastest growing under-18 population among states.

“The rapid growth of Texas’ young population can provide the state a competitive advantage — if they have the tools needed to play a part in tomorrow’s economy,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. “Effective early education can help our kids build the skills they need for success throughout their school careers — and beyond. Failures at these early stages can ripple throughout a lifetime. Third graders who can’t read at their grade level are four times more likely to drop out of high school than those who can.”

Fiscal Notes is available online and can be received by subscribing via the Comptroller’s website.

Fiscal Notes furthers the Comptroller’s constitutional responsibility to monitor the state’s economy and estimate state government revenues. It has been published since 1975, featuring in-depth analysis concerning state finances and original research by subject-matter experts in the Comptroller’s office.