Public Education Debt
At $63.6 billion, public education accounts for more than one-third of local government debt in Texas. About 98 percent of all public school debt is issued through voter-approved bonds and serviced by local property taxes. The rest of the debt is funded by maintenance and operations taxes, revenues generated from facilities and other sources, or lease-purchase agreements.
Local property taxes, state funds and federal funds comprise public education revenue in Texas. The majority of this funding is used to finance school construction and reconstruction.
Map of Texas Public School District Debt Outstanding
as of 8/31/11
In fiscal 2011, Texas’ 854 school districts with outstanding debt had $2,573.15 debt per resident. 170 districts had no debt outstanding. Debt per student in fiscal 2011 was $13,530.12 among the 854 school districts with debt.