Updated Post – May 19, 2023:
RISD is making an ongoing effort to keep stakeholders updated on developments from the legislative session in Austin, which is reaching its final days.
Thank you to the hundreds of RISD parents, taxpayers, staff and residents who have joined RISD trustees to send a Mayday message (see original post below) to lawmakers to voice an opinion on both public school funding and vouchers. The situation in Austin continues to change, and voices in support of public education are needed now more than ever.
Despite a historic state surplus of more than $30 billion, Texas leadership is holding up any public school funding increases for inflation unless a voucher proposal gets passed. The Texas House has so far repeatedly rejected a voucher program, yet the Governor insists that an entitlement program that provides public tax dollars to private schools with no financial or academic accountability is what Texans want.
As of May 19, there is no agreement on any additional funding for our public schools and only a miniscule investment for school safety:
- No new funding for student learning or support
- No new funding for classroom teachers
- No new funding for an educator pay raise
- No new funding for any incentives to recruit or retain teachers – the most valuable asset for our students – in the face of an ongoing teacher shortage.
- No new funding to help schools address the 17% inflation since 2019 – rising insurance costs, rising energy/utility costs, rising costs of supplies, rising cost of teacher salaries to keep educators in the profession and remain competitive.
- And nothing new that will improve the system and promote better academic or behavioral outcomes.
As the end of the current legislative session approaches, the Governor and Lt. Governor continue to push for proposals that would divert billions of dollars out of the public school system to fund a private school voucher program that would quickly become the state’s largest entitlement ever. Property tax relief is an excellent use of a portion of the state’s historic surplus, yet providing that relief creates a shell game under the Texas school finance system that simply replace with state money what will be taken away from school districts like RISD in local tax revenue. The current net effect is no new funding for public schools.
Opportunity to Take Action
RISD stakeholders have ongoing opportunities to ask the Lieutenant Governor, the Senate Education Committee Chair and the Senate Finance Committee Chair to fund public schools to cover inflation since 2019 and not play politics with public school teachers and students to force action on a voucher program. Likewise, stakeholders can email the Speaker, House Public Education Committee Chair, and the House Appropriations Committee Chair to thank them for their commitment to increased public school funding and to ask them to remain focused on public schools. RISD is joining Frisco ISD and other area districts to encourage parents and taxpayers to click here and contact key lawmakers.
Original Post – May 1, 2023:
On May 1, school districts across Texas gathered to issue a mayday distress call about funding for public education.
RISD Superintendent Tabitha Branum, Board President Regina Harris, and RISD trustees joined superintendents and elected trustees from school districts around North Texas to raise awareness among parents, taxpayers, and Texas legislators regarding the lack of public school funding in the current legislative session. School districts have not received an increase in per-pupil basic allotment funding since 2019, during which time inflation has risen up to 17%.
The education leaders gathered to urge Texas residents who value public education’s impact on future Texas voters, citizens, workforce, and leaders to click on this link to send a prewritten message to their state representative, state senator and the Lieutenant Governor. This link will remain active through the end of the legislative session on May 29.
Click to watch a Mayday School Funding message from Superintendent Branum and Board President Harris. Please click here to view the entire press conference en español.
“Given the ongoing challenges faced by educators, a significant salary increase is just part of what we can do to show our teachers that we value their work,” said Trustee Harris. “We need more funding to provide well-earned compensation for not only teachers but our other employees who all contribute toward the safe education of our future leaders, workforce and citizens.”
Raise Your Hand Texas, which helped organize the call to action, said “school professionals who serve our children deserve our support, and we need to send a message to our state lawmakers that, with one month left in the legislative session, there is still time to direct more of the state’s record $32 billion surplus to Texas public schools. Doing nothing and just hoping lawmakers take this action is NOT an option.”
The nonpartisan nonprofit said current legislation proposed by both the Texas House and Senate “does not provide enough funding for districts to offer meaningful salary increases since the last increase in 2019 when lawmakers approved HB3.”
“Since then, inflation has risen as high as 17%. Significant new revenue is needed for public education simply to keep up with rising costs. Anything less would be a step back for schools,” the nonprofit said. “What is currently planned poses significant challenges for school districts and its valued and dedicated teachers and team members.”
According to Raise Your Hand Texas, the state needs to add $14.5 billion to the budget for public education just to make up for inflation since 2019. To fulfill the promise made by the Legislature in 2019, schools need an additional $7 billion in funding.
In addition to the event in Dallas, similar events occurred in Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso, Midland-Odessa and Tyler. RISD Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Support Services David Pate was a guest on a recent Intersect Ed podcast hosted by Raise Your Hand Texas. Click here to listen to the podcast.
For more information about RISD’s legislative priorities and elected legislators, please click here.
