The New Texan
Friday, May 22, 2026

SCHOOL WATCH

Texas Schools Are Cutting Positions and Closing Campuses While the Legislature Stalls on Finance Reform

Austin ISD is projecting a $181 million deficit and closing 10 campuses. The UT System may cut academic programs with less faculty oversight. No school finance bill has passed.

File:AustinIndependentSchoolDistrictHeadquarters.JPG
Photo: WhisperToMe / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
The New Texan staffMay 21, 2026

Texas school districts and university systems are making irreversible decisions — closing campuses, eliminating positions, and accelerating program cuts — during a legislative session that has not yet passed a school finance reform bill. This leaderboard ranks institutions by the scale of announced cuts or structural changes, measured from the start of the 2025–26 legislative session through mid-May 2026. The absence of a passed finance bill is the shared backdrop for every entry.

scale of announced cuts, closures, or structural changes (positions eliminated, campuses closed, programs at risk) · 2025–26 legislative session through May 20, 2026

  1. 1

    Austin ISD

    Superintendent Matias Segura announced a two-year proposal affecting more than 200 full-time positions, with changes to class sizes, bilingual stipends, and special education support. District leaders had previously said cuts would not reach classrooms; in April, Segura said protecting classrooms was no longer feasible.

    200+ positions at risk; $181M deficit projected; 10 campuses already closing↓
  2. 2

    University of Texas System

    The UT System board is expected to vote as soon as June on a rule that would streamline the process for cutting academic programs by reducing required faculty review. Faculty at UT Austin staged a mock funeral protest; humanities and social sciences programs have been named in internal discussions, though no formal list has been published.

    Proposed rule change to reduce faculty review before academic programs are eliminated↓
  3. 3

    Pflugerville ISD

    The Pflugerville ISD board voted to close Dessau, Parmer Lane, Windermere, and Pflugerville Elementary schools, citing budget constraints. Superintendent Dr. Quinten Shepherd announced the closures on May 15, 2026.

    4 elementary schools closing ahead of 2027–28 school year↓
  4. 4

    Texas Legislature (89th Session)

    The legislative session remains in progress with no school finance reform bill enacted. Districts citing insufficient state funding as a driver of their deficits are making closure and staffing decisions without knowing what future state allocations will look like.

    0 school finance reform bills passed as of May 20, 2026→