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TPR | Public Money & Accountability
Four Texas school districts representing nearly 157,000 students have been selected for detailed state reviews of how they spend public money.
But the selection itself is not a finding of wrongdoing.
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced Oct. 5 that Austin, Barbers Hill, El Paso and Prosper independent school districts were selected for what his office calls the Huffines Performance Review.
The four districts reported a combined 2025–26 enrollment of 156,989 students, according to figures published by the Comptroller.
The reviews follow an Aug. 19 request from Gov. Greg Abbott for the Comptroller to examine the finances of as many as four school districts of different sizes and geographic locations.
Abbott asked the Comptroller to determine whether public funds are being used for lawful and intended purposes. The Comptroller says the reviews will examine whether district spending complies with state law and whether money is directed toward students, classrooms and teachers rather than administrative expansion or non-instructional bureaucracy.
The Comptroller reported the districts’ 2025–26 enrollments as:
Austin ISD — 69,074 students
Barbers Hill ISD — 8,088 students
El Paso ISD — 46,244 students
Prosper ISD — 33,583 students
Combined enrollment: 156,989 students.
The districts represent different parts of Texas and vary considerably in enrollment, from Barbers Hill ISD’s 8,088 students to Austin ISD’s 69,074.
That distinction is central to what the public record currently establishes.
The Comptroller has announced reviews. It has not announced that any of the four districts violated state law, wasted taxpayer money or improperly spent public funds.
The Oct. 5 announcement does not identify an unlawful expenditure by any of the districts and does not report a preliminary finding of wrongdoing.
Selection for review therefore should not be characterized as an adverse finding against Austin, Barbers Hill, El Paso or Prosper ISD.
The Comptroller says the review will examine whether district spending complies with state law and whether public money is reaching students, classrooms and teachers.
Texas Education Code §39.0821 provides statutory context for the Comptroller's review of school-district resource-allocation practices.
The specific review announced this week, however, follows Abbott's August request. The Governor asked for reviews of up to four districts to determine whether public funds were being used for lawful and intended purposes.
The public announcement does not provide a detailed review methodology or identify all records the Comptroller will examine.
It also does not establish the staffing or cost of the reviews, disclose preliminary findings, or establish that the final report will find unlawful or wasteful spending.
Those questions remain open as the state moves from selecting districts to conducting the reviews.
The Comptroller says the final report will be completed by Dec. 31, 2026, giving the 90th Texas Legislature time to consider any recommendations for reform.
Abbott's original request also called for a final report by Dec. 31 so state officials could consider appropriate action and possible additional reforms during the upcoming legislative session.
That makes the final report — not the selection announcement — the consequential next record.
For now, what is established is straightforward: Texas has selected four school districts representing 156,989 students for detailed reviews of district spending.
What those reviews will ultimately find remains unanswered.
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