Recapture

The PfISD school board is considering closing several elementary schools to save money as the district faces a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. Trustees are expected to make a decision next month.

The district is working on its budget for the 2023-2024 school year. AISD administrators and school board members say employee compensation is the top priority.

Rising property values means the district must pay into the recapture system, which was intended to equalize school funding in the state.

The 2022-2023 budget includes a massive payment to the state’s recapture system and pay increases for teachers as well as other school staff. It also eliminates nearly 600 positions, primarily in the district’s central office.

Austin ISD found out this week that properties in Travis County were appraised much higher than it anticipated. It's now expected to pay $850 million into the state recapture system next school year — $50 million more than it had budgeted.

The proposed budget would add $1,000 to teachers' base pay and give them a 2% raise overall. The district is also proposing raising the hourly wage for classified workers and bus drivers.

A study found AISD paid more than $710 million last school year — three-and-a-half times more Houston ISD, a much larger district. The program is meant to bolster districts in areas with less property wealth.

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