Bryan ISD leaders say declining student attendance and enrollment are beginning to impact district finances, as administrators prepare for next year’s budget.

What you need to know: Texas public schools are funded largely based on average daily attendance. That means when students miss school, districts receive less state funding. Bryan ISD said attendance has dropped to about 93.45%, and enrollment has declined by roughly 300 students.

A demographer told the district the decline could be led by lower birth rates, growth in alternative learning programs, community fears or school voucher impacts.

The breakdown: Payroll makes up 85.2% of Bryan ISD’s budget, meaning enrollment shifts directly affect staffing and long-term financial planning.makes up 85.2% of Bryan ISD’s budget, meaning enrollment shifts directly affect staffing and long-term financial planning. The district is exploring ways to streamline operations while maintaining instructional quality, retain and recruit good staff, support classrooms and continue campus safety investments.

Legislative approach: Under Senate Bill 569, Bryan ISD is exploring virtual and hybrid options for high schoolers.

No final decisions have been made.

Brazos County commissioners at an April 7 meeting approved a $660,000 engineering services contract related to ongoing planning for the county’s future courthouse annex construction project.

What you need to know: The agreement with local company Dudley Engineering was unanimously approved as part of the county’s capital improvement planning process.

About the contract: Dudley Engineering will be testing construction materials and land before ground breaks.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Fred Brown raised concerns about separating preliminary engineering work from full construction services, saying the county would be paying consultants “to look at dirt and concrete and things like that.”

A county official said the work is necessary to ensure design quality and proper planning ahead of construction.

What's next: In a presentation at the March 24 Commissioners Court meeting, Project Manager Trevor Lansdown said ground will break on the courthouse annex April 21. Timelines suggest it will take roughly two years to complete.

Blinn College’s board of trustees voted to keep tuition and general fee rates unchanged for the 2026-27 school year. This is the second year in a row without a tuition increase.

The cost: According to a news release from Blinn, trustees set in-district tuition at $64 per semester credit hour for students living in Blinn’s taxing district in Washington County. Out-of-district Texas residents will continue to pay $123 per credit hour, while out-of-state students pay $279 per credit hour. These rates are also unchanged this year. 

The college’s general fee will remain at $80 per credit hour.

What else: Blinn also offers more than 350 endowed scholarships, including programs with Washington and Austin counties that provide up to $2,250 in tuition support for eligible students.

Funding for Texas’ education savings account program is expected to dry up before it reaches all low-income applicants, the state comptroller’s office announced April 2.

The overview: More than a quarter of a million students applied for the first year of Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which will give participating families access to state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

The details: Most eligible students will be placed on a waitlist for the 2026-27 school year, as the $1 billion program is expected to serve between 90,000 and 100,000 students. State officials said all funds are expected to go to students with disabilities, their siblings and children from low-income families.

The state will use a four-tier, randomized lottery system to determine who is accepted. Once funding runs out, the remaining students will be placed on a waitlist.

How it works: Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 each in ESA funding, depending on their individual needs. Other accepted students will receive $10,474 for private education or $2,000 for homeschooling.