TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a joint resolution highlighting the district’s legislative priorities prior to a called special session of the Texas Legislature in October. TISD trustees joined with the Belton Independent School District Board in approving the resolution during a joint meeting on Tuesday (September 26).
The resolution allows Temple ISD and Belton ISD to work jointly with elected officials to support legislation that aligns with three priorities. The first priority is to oppose diversion of funds from public education for school voucher, tax credit, or charter school programs, until the State of Texas funds schools above the national average. The second priority is to establish a fair, transparent and comprehensive accountability system that has value for students, parents, teachers, and the community. And the third priority is to increase the basic allotment to fully fund educational services.
“Due to legislative inaction during the regular season, and two subsequent special sessions, public education remains unfunded and accountability reform untouched,” said Dan Posey, Temple ISD Board of Trustees President. “Now more than ever it is important for school districts across the state to unite their advocacy efforts so that our shared priorities are clear going into this third special session. Temple ISD is taking a position to do what’s right by our families, children, staff, and community.”
Priority #1: Oppose diversion of funds from public education until the State of Texas funds schools above the national average.
Texas currently ranks 42nd in the country in funding for public education. If there are issues with public schools, then lawmakers should create legislation that addresses these matters within the system vs. allocating funds outside the system. During the regular session, the Texas House of Representatives decisively opposed bills that included vouchers, while the Senate refused to hear public education bills without the addition of vouchers.
Priority #2: Establish a fair, transparent and comprehensive accountability system that has value for students, parents, teachers, and the community.
The purpose of an accountability system is to accurately inform the public. However, TEA has provided inadequate time and implementation of new standards. This is a violation of state law. The proposed changes are unprecedented in four ways: the volume of assessment and accountability changes bundled into one school year, the lack of timeliness and transparency afforded to educators and the public, the retroactive application of scores, and the removal of a transition year for implementation of new standards. Under the newly written rules of the accountability system, a majority of school districts across Texas – despite glaring gains on assessments – will see a drop in ratings. These mixed messages will only confuse the public and misrepresent public schools.
Priority #3: Increase the basic allotment to fully fund educational services.
Since the end of the regular legislative session with funding for public education indetermined, public schools have been faced with addressing underfunded safety requirements, staff compensation, inflationary costs in services and in TISD’s case, handling student growth – all without additional legislative revenue. As a result, districts across the state, including Temple ISD, were forced to adopt deficit budgets amid uncertainty. Additional revenue provided in HB3 does not cover its legislative requirements nor does it cover the Commissioner’s Safety Standards, passing on additional debt to school districts. Further, in order to comply with special education regulations and laws, districts are being forced to use general fund revenue to meet compliance, diverting dollars away from serving general education as intended.
“Texas sits atop the largest surplus in the state’s history. It stands to reason that public education should be funded at or above the national average,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, superintendent of Temple schools. “Instead, we have witnessed a hijacking of funds that should be allocated for educating the majority of students in Texas (5.5 million) and taking care of teachers – all in the name of special interests. This game of politics places children, educators, and our future in the middle. Where else are you ranked in the bottom ten in the country in funding, but expect top five results? We are better than this in Texas.”