House Public Education

TIME & DATE: 11:30 AM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted Tuesday, February 19, 2019  - Notice

Preventive Law: Does That Complete Your Order? Interpreting and Complying with Court Orders Involving Parent-Child Relationships

What do you do when a parent drives to your school on a Friday at 2:45 p.m. waving ‘custody papers’ in the air and demands that the school immediately withdraw her child or prevent the other parent from picking the child up from school? Take a deep breath and convince yourself that this person did not do this just to ruin your weekend. Then, explain that you will need to review the document to make sure the school complies with it and make a copy for the school’s records. When you review ‘custody’ documents, here are some steps you can use to help you interpret them and navigate through the legalese.

Superintendent Search: Santa Rosa ISD has announced a Lone Finalist

Santa Rosa ISD Board of Trustees has chosen Angela Gonzalez, Superintendent of Ramirez CSD,  as Lone Finalist for Santa Rosa ISD Superintendent of Schools. Details and updates will continue to appear on our search page as things progress. 

Superintendent Search: Sanger ISD Hires TASB ESS to Conduct Search

Sanger ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire TASB Executive Search Services (ESS) to conduct a search for a new superintendent. Details and updates will appear on our search page as things progress.

Superintendent Search: Hitchcock ISD is Searching for a New Superintendent

The Board of Trustees of the Hitchcock Independent School District is searching for an outstanding, qualified administrator to lead the school district. Details and updates will appear on our search page as things progress.

New Release of Template Release 1 dated 02/07/2019

Omar Garcia with BOK Financial Securities has a new release (Release 1 dated 02/07/2019) that is now available for download.  This new release loads the preliminary 2018 values as recently certified by the Comptroller’s office and makes other minor adjustments (see Notes tab).  As always, please stay tuned for any new developments. view article  

Texas’ school finance system is unpopular and complex. Here’s how it works.

Despite their political rifts, Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate lawmakers, and rural and urban Texans all agree the state needs to change the way it funds public schools. That consensus is the culmination of decades of lawsuits against the state claiming Texas schools are not adequately or equitably funded. view article  

Redoing recapture: What it means for Eanes, Lake Travis ISDs

Eanes ISD has sent more than $1 billion of local property tax funds to the state of Texas since the recapture system was established in 1993. Lake Travis ISD has sent about half a billion. The amount districts send increases rapidly with taxable value   growth like in Lake Travis ISD, where recapture payments have gone up 100 percent in a decade.  What began as an attempt to equalize school district wealth across Texas and make up for a lack of an income tax is now an outdated, broken formula, according to many state senators, representatives, administrators and parents. When recapture, or what many call “Robin Hood” was enacted, 33 districts were required to pay money back to the state. Districts with the highest property values contributed about $130 million toward the state’s public education budget. view article  

CDC 2017 survey shows Houston with lowest measles vaccination rate among key U.S.cities

A 2017 report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that among major U.S. cities surveyed, Houston has the lowest rate of measles vaccination among young children.  The study looked at vaccination rates among a large sample group of children between 19 and 35 months old in 2017, which was the most recent data available. view article  

Dr. Mary Springs Superintendent of Three Rivers ISD passes away

The faculty, students and community of Three Rivers ISD are in our prayers.  Here is a link to Dr. Mary Springs services

Analysis: Here’s your property tax cut, maybe. Heads up — it’s expensive.

A new proposal to cut school property taxes in Texas perfectly outlines the political problem facing lawmakers: It's terribly expensive, and other taxes have to be raised to pay for it.  Springer wants cuts. But it would cost a small fortune, more than $6 billion a year, and he’s a Republican, and he certainly doesn’t want to try to persuade a conservative Legislature to raise taxes. He wouldn’t actually cut them, either: He’s proposing a swap, cutting local school property taxes by getting rid of some popular exemptions to state taxes. view article  

New From TEA

• 2019–2020 Testing Calendar 2/1
• State Board of Education UpdateState Board of Education hosts free conference Jan. 30 1/15
• 2017-2018 Federal Report Cards are now available 1/10
• TEA releases 2017-2018 Texas Academic Performance Report
• 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 Testing Calendars 12/13
• TEA releases final 2018 academic accountability ratings 12/13
• Applications Open for Joining the System of Great Schools Network 12/7

Federal judge approves Richardson ISD’s request to postpone its school board election to Nov. 5

Richardson ISD learned last week that a federal judge has approved its request to push its May school board election to November. The request was made to accommodate a recent change to RISD’s electoral system that came in the wake of a settled lawsuit filed by former trustee David Tyson Jr. Under the new system, five of the district’s school board members will be elected to represent specific geographic districts, while two will oversee the district as a whole. view article  

Analysis: Need money for property tax cuts? Ask voters first

Legislative efforts to lower property taxes could end up in the hands of Texas voters — that is, if the proposals don’t die in the House or Senate. Whether it’s a proposal to force the state to pay at least half the cost of public education or an attempt to raise the homestead exemption on school taxes to 50 percent, the Legislature alone might not be enough. Voters might have to change the Texas Constitution to get this done. It's no certainty that the Legislature will even give tax cuts a serious run. The state’s top leaders — Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen — have presented their list of priorities enough times for all of us to memorize it: school finance, property tax reform and teacher pay raises. These people are quite well-trained in the art of messaging, and not one of them has been talking about tax cuts. view article  

Houston:  Superintendent search will continue

Houston ISD’s pursuit of a permanent superintendent will continue after trustees rejected a motion Thursday to suspend the search amid a recently launched state investigation into potential violations of open meetings laws.  Trustees voted 5-3 to continue the search for a permanent leader to replace former superintendent Richard Carranza, who left the district in March 2018 to become chancellor of New York City public schools. Three trustees who favored suspending the effort argued the district cannot attract qualified candidates with the looming threat of sanctions tied to the state investigation, while the five opponents argued the district should push forward despite the inquiry. view article  

Beaumont ISD to host community meeting with charter school representatives

Beaumont Independent School District will hold another community meeting to educate parents and community members about the upcoming partnership between Fehl-Price Elementary School and ResponsiveED charter school management organization, according to information on the BISD website. This is the fourth community meeting regarding the BISD partnership with two charters to improve the performance of three district schools who have failed to meet Texas Education Agency standards for four consecutive years. view article  

San Antonio area’s Judson ISD faces grim budget year, grapples with falling enrollment

For years, Judson Independent School District grew steadily. Today, it faces declining enrollment and a budget shortfall that could result in steep spending cuts and school consolidation. At a recent work session, board members and administrators suggested cuts in central office staffing, utility expenses and bus routes, among other things. The district expects to end the current fiscal year with a $13 million deficit. view article  

Point of Order: Investing in the future of Texas

In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith asks state Rep. John Zerwas, the chief budget writer in the Texas House, whether we have enough money to fund today’s priorities and tomorrow’s — and which hard choices we have to make. Subscribe to the Point of Order podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. view article  

State of Texas: Lawmaker looks for compromise on property tax cap

Rising property taxes have been an on-going source of complaints in Texas for years. But state lawmakers and leaders are making progress on a bill that could provide some tax relief. The Texas Senate Property Tax Committee voted Monday to send Senate Bill 2 to the full Texas Senate for review. The bill would place a 2.5 percent cap on annual property tax growth. Anything above that would require voter approval. Four senators on the five-member committee voted to approve sending SB 2 to the full Senate. The lone Democrat on the committee, Sen. Juan Hinojosa (D-McAllen) did not vote. view article  

Confirmed measles cases in Texas expected to rise

Measles supposedly was eradicated in the United States years ago, but it’s still around. Having 1 case in 2015, 1 in 2016 and 1 in 2017 in Texas and then having 9 cases last year is a significant jump, and that’s something that has medical officials concerned. The measles kills 450 people every day, and more than 100,000 people a year worldwide. view article  

Friona ISD Adding Bond to Ballot

Friona ISD is adding a bond to the ballot. Their board of trustees has called for a bond election proposing a $19 million bond. view article  

Troy: School board votes to call $18.25 million bond election

The Troy School Board has voted unanimously to call a $18.25 million bond election on May 4. If approved, proceeds from the bond issue would fund “substantial additions and renovations at Troy High School and Mays Elementary as well as make improvements to Raymond Mays Middle and Troy Elementary schools,” the district said in a press release. view article  

Hutto ISD calls for $194 million bond election in May

Residents living in Hutto ISD boundaries will see a $194.4 million bond proposal on their ballots this spring. Following months of committee meetings, the Hutto ISD board of trustees Feb. 14 voted unanimously to put the bond proposition on May’s ballot. “We’ve been going over this,” Hutto ISD board President Connie Gooding said. “This was not a hasty decision.” view article  

Hutto ISD to begin construction on newest campus this week

Work will begin this week on Hutto ISD’s upcoming ninth-grade center—the district’s newest school—after the first of multiple construction bids was awarded last week. The Hutto ISD board of trustees voted Feb. 14 to approve a $16.65 million guaranteed maximum price contract for the first of three possible bid packages. The second bid will be presented to trustees later this spring. A third bid package for for the ninth-grade center’s Agriculture Barn may be a stand-alone package, or it could be wrapped into the second bid package, according to Henry Gideon, assistant superintendent for operations with Hutto ISD. According to Gideon, preliminary construction work on the ninth-grade center will get underway as early as Feb. 18. view article  

Voters to decide on two Nederland ISD bonds totaling nearly $156M

Voters in the Nederland school district will get to decide this May on two bonds totaling nearly $156 million for a new school, improvements to other campuses and stadium upgrades. The Nederland ISD school board approved the two proposals Wednesday night. view article  

SEN. SCHWERTNER OPTIMISTIC ABOUT LEGISLATIVE SESSION

The 86th Texas Legislative Session is one District 5 State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, is poised to see a lot of progress thanks to a combination of available funds and a desire of those at the Capitol to make progress on some longstanding issues. There are two primary areas he believes progress can be made between now and the end of May. “I think we need to address the two biggest issues that face the Legislature this session and those are obviously our schools – school finance and teacher pay – as well as property tax,” Schwertner said. “Those are the issues that have been percolating over many sessions and always come up, but there’s kind of been a confluence of leadership and realization by members and the public that these two issues need to be addressed.” view article  

Humble ISD adds week-long vacations in February, October to 2019-20 calendar

With a 4-2 vote, the Humble ISD board of trustees added weeks of additional vacation time to its 2019-20 school calendar. The district approved Calendar B as the official district calendar for the 2019-20 school year during their Feb. 12 meeting. Position 6 Board Member Colin Carney and Board President Charles Cunningham voted against this agenda item. view article  

Sen. Angela Paxton files bill that would allow her husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, to issue exemptions from securities regulations

In what state Sen. Angela Paxton describes as an effort to safely expand Texas’ burgeoning financial tech industry, the freshman Republican from McKinney has filed a bill that would empower the office of her husband, Attorney General Ken Paxton, to exempt entrepreneurs from certain state regulations so they can market “innovative financial products or services.” One of those exemptions would be working as an “investment adviser” without registering with the state board. Currently, doing so is a felony in Texas — one for which Ken Paxton was issued a civil penalty in 2014 and criminally charged in 2015. view article  

Lancaster ISD Starts College Savings Program For Kindergarten Students With Cash Donation

In Lancaster, piggy banks are helping plant the seeds of college dreams, especially when the school district chips in $50 just to get families started. The “Dollars for College” program rolled out this week intending to get kindergarten students thinking about college, and parents saving for it early. “Family and friends can contribute to the accounts. The kindergarten students actually have piggy banks that they’re going to take home with them,” said Lancaster ISD Asst. Supt. Pamela Brown. view article  

This Texas school district is considering setting up its own police force. Over 200 others already have.

J.J. Strong has been a cop at Round Rock High, near Austin, for four years. His job involves roaming the halls on the lookout for kids causing trouble, like starting fights, smoking weed, or just generally being up to no good. And all the while, he's constantly thinking about what he'd do if someone burst into the school with a gun. Officer Strong is a school resource officer, a part of a program that dates to the 1950s and has grown rapidly in the past few years. But in the post-Parkland era, the Round Rock Independent School District is one of many considering a self-contained, in-house police department, something 248 other districts in the state have already done — 34 in the last year alone. view article  

Sam Houston HS In Arlington Placed On Lockdown After Report Of Possible Weapon On Campus

Arlington police responded to Sam Houston High School in regards to a fight at around 9 a.m. Friday. A school resource officer had reported seeing someone reach into their waistband, as if to draw a weapon, during the fight. The school located at 2000 Sam Houston Drive was placed on lockdown, according to the Arlington Independent School District, as police investigated the incident. view article  

Superintendent consultants: Alvin ISD could name finalist in April

Alvin ISD is continuing to search for a new superintendent and could announce a lone finalist by April, consultants said. Superintendent search consultants Mike Moses and David Thompson with Thompson and Horton LLP held a press conference Feb. 12 prior to sharing a report on community members’ preferences for the new leader with the Board of Trustees. Consultants met with parents, students and residents in the district in a series of focus groups, Thompson said. view article  

Zendejas, Brownsville ISD agree to separation

The separation agreement signed Wednesday by the Brownsville Independent School District and former Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas obligates the district to pay her employment contract only through Aug.31, 2019 and for her to resign as a district employee no later than that date. The agreement reassigns Zendejas from superintendent to transition assistant to the new or acting superintendent effective Feb. 13 and obligates the district to pay her full salary and benefits through Aug. 31, less her monthly stipend for automobile expenses. view article