Texas public schools saw a sharp rise in students identified with dyslexia, with more than 212,000 placed in special education during the 2024–25 school year, marking a more than 600% increase over six years. This surge has forced districts to hire specialists, schedule thousands of evaluations, and expand already stretched special-education teams.
The Texas Education Agency’s 2025 Annual Report shows the increase adds roughly 100,000 students compared to six years ago. Educators say this growth is reshaping how schools plan staffing, budgets, and reading intervention programs, as reported by KXAN.
Policy Change Pushed More Students Into Special Ed
Advocates and district leaders point to a 2023 law that moved dyslexia services under the state’s special-education framework. That change has brought more students into individualized education programs, or IEPs, and triggered a wave of formal evaluations along with added paperwork and compliance demands on campuses. The San Antonio Express-News has detailed how the shift to IEPs is playing out in local districts.
Money And The "Disability Penalty"
On paper, the state offers extra help. Texas provides a dyslexia allotment that entitles districts to an annual amount equal to the basic allotment multiplied by 0.1 for each qualifying dyslexic student. Texas Public Law outlines that funding weight in Education Code §48.103.
Some districts argue that even with that boost, the broader school finance system still leaves them short. The Houston Chronicle has reported on an older funding rule, widely referred to as the "disability penalty," that effectively shrinks flexible classroom dollars when students spend time in special-education settings, intensifying the financial strain as dyslexia identifications soar. Houston Chronicle reporting lays out why many administrators now see dyslexia identification as a financial as well as operational challenge.
Districts Feeling The Strain
On the ground, districts are reshuffling staff and training plans to keep up. Hays Consolidated ISD, for instance, now employs 26 dyslexia therapists to match the pace of new identifications. The district’s director of academic support said earlier screening often depended on teacher or parent referrals instead of systematic checks, a gap that is now coming into focus as the numbers climb. Those local details and interviews were featured in coverage by KXAN.
What TEA Says And What Comes Next
State officials are not sugarcoating the challenge. TEA leaders acknowledge that the surge in identifications will require more trained instructors, deeper professional development and closer oversight.
"As more students are identified and evidence-based programs are provided, individuals must be trained and equipped to teach those students," TEA Deputy Commissioner Kristin McGuire said, underscoring the need for workforce development and ongoing training as the state leans on reading intervention. Her remarks, along with the agency’s new report, were covered by KXAN.
Lawmakers and local officials now have to decide whether to expand targeted funding, grow certification programs and streamline evaluations so students can get evidence-based instruction without blowing up district budgets. Coverage suggests that debates over the current funding formula, and possible fixes to it, are expected to be central topics at the Legislature this year.
