Prosper ISD is already part of one education plan in the race for governor. Gov. Greg Abbott asked in August for a state review of how school districts spend their money, and the comptroller picked Prosper as one of the four districts to examine.
With early voting starting Monday, here is how Abbott, the Republican seeking a fourth term, and his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, say they would change Texas schools, based on The Dallas Morning News' summary of their campaign proposals.
Abbott: spending audits, less screen time, tougher penalties
Abbott wants a law requiring school districts to spend at least 70% of their funding in the classroom, and he has called for audits to cut what his campaign website calls "excessive administrative costs, wasteful contracts and fraud."
That is the idea behind the review now under way. Comptroller Don Huffines announced Oct. 5 that Austin, Barbers Hill, El Paso and Prosper ISDs would be examined to see whether their spending follows state law and reaches students, classrooms and teachers rather than administrative growth.
His office listed Prosper with 33,583 students in 2025-26 and said the final report will be done by Dec. 31 so the Legislature can consider it. The Texas Education Agency already audits districts and rates their financial management, the Morning News noted.
Abbott also wants to limit how much time students spend on laptops and tablets, to require educators convicted of an improper relationship with a student to register as sex offenders and serve at least 10 years without parole, and to have public universities offer three-year bachelor's degrees and discounts on summer courses.
Hinojosa: end STAAR, vouchers and takeovers
Hinojosa, a former Austin ISD trustee, wants to end the STAAR test and replace the A-F accountability ratings that rely heavily on it. Lawmakers already voted in 2025 to replace the end-of-year exams with three shorter tests starting in the 2027-28 school year.
