(The Center Square) – Austin Democrats running for top statewide offices financially supported a political action committee that advocated for a ballot initiative to increase school district property taxes. They have also vocally supported increasing property taxes and state spending to additionally fund public schools.
In 2024, Proposition A was added to the ballot in Austin to increase property taxes. The stated goal was to increase Austin Independent School District teacher and staff salaries.
It passed by a vote of 58% with voters approving increasing their own property taxes after the Texas legislature increased funding for public school teacher salaries and Austin ISD had been reporting years of failing grades.
As with other propositions on ballots in Texas, a political action committee was launched to support Proposition A, the Committee for Austin’s Children (CfAC). It received more than $858,000 in donations, according to Transparency USA.
Multiple Austin-based organizations and politicians donated to it, including key Democrats now running governor, lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate.
The campaigns of state Reps. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, and Gina Hinojosa each donated $1,500 to CfAC in September 2024, according to a Texas Ethics Commission filings. Hinojosa's campaign also donated another $1,500 to CfAC in October 2024.
Hinojosa, a former president of the Austin ISD Board of Trustees, and Talarico, a former Austin ISD teacher, have both made improving public school education a hallmark of their campaigns.
During Hinojosa’s tenure on the board, Austin ISD spending increased by more than $321 million, nearly 40%, and administrative payrolls increased by nearly 15%. At the same time, teacher pay increased by 3.5%, according to district data.
The three Austin Democrats are running against incumbent Republicans Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, respectively.
Hinojosa was a vocal supporter of Proposition A, saying it was a way to “give our public schools the much needed resources that Greg Abbott denied.”
Hinojosa made the claim after Abbott, Patrick and former House Speaker Dade Phelan spearheaded one of the largest funding bills for public schools in state history in 2023. The funding measure was surpassed in 2025, allocating a record $8.5 billion for public schools and $4 billion for teacher and staff pay raises, The Center Square reported.
The funding measures passed with bipartisan support, including from Goodwin, Hinojosa and Talarico.
Proposition A increased the tax rate by 9.1 cents, from $0.8595 to $0.9505 per $100 of property value. Austin ISD said residential property owners with an average home value of $553,000 would see an increase of $34 a month on their tax bill. The district later lowered the rate to $.09252 per $100 valuation for the 2025-2026 school year.
The initial tax increase resulted in $171 million being paid, of which only $41 million stayed in the district because of a statutorily mandated recapture system referred to as “Robin Hood,” according to district data.
Austin ISD is one of the hardest hit districts in the state impacted by recapture because the majority of school district property tax revenue doesn’t stay in the district. Higher valued properties bring in higher tax revenue but the total exceeds the amount the state says the district can keep. Midland ISD, also hard hit by recapture, is suing the state, arguing recapture is unconstitutional, The Center Square reported.
Despite the 2024 property tax increase, Austin ISD’s superintendent and board couldn’t reverse a $181 million deficit and 10 schools are being closed for the 2026-2027 school year.
The district is also continuing to report failing grades and is now expected to be taken over by the state, The Center Square reported.