We appreciate your efforts in the House but we are extremely disappointed that an increase to school funding couldn't be accomplished. We operate our district on 1 million dollars less than we did in 2011 (primarily due to state budget cuts over the past six years) yet my tax payers are paying more and picking up a larger percentage of the bill. Back in 2010, my taxpayers were paying 50% of the bill, today they pay higher taxes and account for 60% our funding, yet we have less money. Republicans in both chambers talk about the need to ease the burden of property taxes on our home owners, yet they continue to expect them to pick up a bigger chunk of the bill.

As a Republican, I am embarrassed by the lies of lower taxes that is spewed by the Republican leadership while at the same time using increases in home appraisal values to lessen the burden of school finance on the state. Homeowners need to wake-up and realize that when you pay more property taxes, your local school district does not gain more money, but the state does. Texas political leaders talk of bathroom bills, A-F ratings and the need for full day pre-k, but more funding to account for inflation or an ever growing economically disadvantaged student population seems out of the question. Naturally, we don’t want to overburden the business climate with unrealistic tax burden, even though these businesses are the very ones sending us the majority of our economically disadvantaged students. Instead, the state places the tax burden on the home owner with increased taxes, while screaming for tax relief in the same breath. If the legislature really wanted property tax relief, they would pass it. The Republicans control both houses of state government and the governorship, if they wanted to change policy they could. The problem is they don’t want it to change. Home owners are not their biggest donors, businesses are their biggest donors and as they say, “follow the money.”

Our students deserve better and our taxpayers deserve better leadership. I am well aware of the political factors that created this finance failure, but this is when true leaders have to step up and call wrong "wrong" and right "right," whether it’s from the same party or not. My job is to make decisions based on what is best for 1150 Callisburg ISD students and I risk my job anytime I make a decision that upsets a local group who don’t see it the same way. Regardless of this risk, I make the right decision for kids. I think it’s time that we have a group of state legislators stand up and unite behind this message rather than pledging to a political party or legislative chamber. If we don’t have any takers, then we need to select new leadership. Our Governor was non-existent during this legislative session, our Lieutenant Governor was only concerned with appeasing his select group of cronies and for some reason the other 180 legislators couldn’t seem to work together. I, for one, will assure each one of you in the legislature I will do my part to educate every property owner I come across of how they are being duped by the political tax rhetoric. I will enlist the help of every school superintendent I know to do the same and we will get the leadership we deserve. So this is your notice:  Rise up to the challenge and be a leader for our children or we will find someone else to fill this role.

Sincerely,

Steve Clugston

Superintendent

Callisburg ISD