Special Session and the Federal Funding Freeze
Special Session
In Texas, only the governor has the authority to call a special session to revisit previous legislation or introduce new proposals. Governor Greg Abbott has called the first special session of the 89th Legislature to begin on Monday, July 21. The governor’s proclamation outlines 18 items, including four items directly affecting public education:
- Eliminating the STAAR assessment
- Reducing property taxes
- Imposing spending limits on taxing entities
- Prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying
Additional agenda items include emergency preparedness to address natural disasters like the recent flooding, redistricting, and regulation of hemp-derived products. A special session may last up to 30 days, after which the governor may call another session to continue work on unresolved items.
Bill filing for the special session began this week; as of this writing, no low-numbered priority bills have been filed in either the House or Senate. We will continue monitoring all education-related legislation that may impact Richardson ISD.
Federal Funding Freeze
In late June 2025, the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education abruptly froze more than $6.8 billion in federal education formula funding for K–12 public schools and adult education. The action impacted nearly every state and threatens essential programs that support vulnerable student populations, particularly in low-income and multilingual communities. Texas is one of the most affected states, serving 20% of all emergent bilingual students nationwide. Richardson ISD stands to lose nearly $3.4 million, impacting over 22 staff positions and vital student services. Programs impacted include:
- New teacher development and leadership stipends ($1.3 million – Title II-A)
- English learner academic support ($1.4 million – Title III-A)
- Academic enrichment (SAT/ACT/TSIA prep, Destination Imagination, technology- enhanced instruction) ($751 thousand – Title IV-A)
24 states and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit on July 14, 2025 seeking an injunction to reinstate funding. The outcome of this lawsuit may determine how quickly the funds are released—or if further legal escalation is required.
RISD Impact
RISD will continue implementation of expected federal Title funds. If the funds remain frozen, the Board will consider amending the budget to cover those expenses for the 2025-2026 school year and examine future spending going forward. Additionally, RISD Board President, Chris Poteet and Superintendent Tabitha Branum have written to RISD’s federal legislators (Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Julie Johnson, and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz) encouraging them to preserve and protect these federal grants that impact all RISD students by providing crucial supplemental resources that support academic excellence, teacher development, English learner advancement, and student mental health in RISD.
Legislative Corner is published periodically throughout the 89th Texas legislative session. For more information about RISD’s legislative involvement and priorities, please visit the legislative page here. Other resources include Texas Legislature Online (TLO) – find legislation (bills), committee hearings, legislative member info, and more; The Quorum Report – sign-up for “Daily Buzz” or a listing of political news articles; Texas Tribune – online daily news, also a data dashboard for education.