Plano ISD lost 427 students to the state's new voucher program this school year, the third-largest number among North Texas districts, according to an analysis released this week by two education nonprofits and published by The Dallas Morning News.
The Texas Center for Voucher Transparency and Every Texan estimate those departures could cost Plano ISD about $3.5 million in state funding. Only Dallas ISD, with 807 students and an estimated $6.6 million, and Fort Worth ISD, with 576 students and $4.7 million, ranked higher in the region.
The 427 students equal about 0.92% of Plano ISD's enrollment of 46,612, according to the district-by-district table that accompanies the News' report.
How the estimate works
The groups filed public records requests for the number of former public school students leaving each district through the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program. The News said it verified the figures, a snapshot of students who had left by Aug. 10, with the state comptroller's office.
Every Texan puts the loss at $8,198.69 in state funding for each departing student, based on statewide weighted daily attendance from the 2023-24 school year. The News noted that actual per-student losses vary by district. Texas districts are funded largely on attendance, so fewer students generally means less state money.
Across North Texas, the analysis counts at least 8,300 students who left more than 50 districts, for an estimated $68.8 million.
Nearby districts
The same table lists these estimates for Plano's neighbors:
