August 19, 2026 (AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced today he will launch a detailed review of select school districts to ensure they are spending taxpayer funds responsibly following a formal request from Gov. Greg Abbott. The Huffines Performance Review will examine whether district spending complies with the law and reaches students, classrooms and teachers — rather than fueling administrative growth or non-instructional bureaucracy.
“Texans must have confidence that their school tax dollars support educational opportunities for students, not layers of bureaucracy in central administrative offices,” Huffines said. “We will document wasteful and inappropriate spending wherever we discover it and report our findings to the Legislature and the people of Texas.”
Abbott, in requesting the review, pointed to the scale of the state’s education budget, saying: “Texans expect that their hard-earned dollars will be spent in compliance with the law. It is essential that the $104.9 billion that Texas spends on K-12 education is used for its intended purpose: supporting students and teachers to make Texas the top-performing state in education, rather than accelerating administrative bloat.”
Huffines added that the review will be conducted “professionally and transparently to protect taxpayers and ensure Texas students can learn in the best schools in America.”
Under Abbott’s request, the Comptroller will investigate the spending at up to four independent school districts of varying size and geographic location, excluding those led by state-appointed boards, to determine whether public funds are used for their lawful, intended purposes.
The Comptroller will name the selected districts in the coming weeks. The final report will be completed by December 31, 2026, giving the 90th Legislature time to consider any resulting recommendations for reform.
