From TASB Governmental Relations - Dax Gonzalez -  The Senate Finance Committee met on Tuesday to consider various Article III (Education) budget items included in the Senate’s proposed budget bill, Senate Bill 1. The committee listened to invited testimony from the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) regarding the proposed education budget. After an overview, Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) asked what the state’s share of the Foundation School Program will be compared to local school districts, to which the LBB representative replied that the state’s share will be 41.9 percent in 2018 and 37.9 percent in 2019. LBB staff noted that for 2017, 36% of districts had a maintenance and operations tax rate of $1.17 and 49% had tax rates of $1.04.

Commissioner of Education Mike Morath also addressed the committee, providing an overview of the Texas Education Agency’s priorities and budget needs.  
After invited testimony on other Article III items, such as the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Texas School for the Deaf, the committee took public testimony on public education issues. It’s worth noting that parents and former students gave compelling testimony in support of those specialized schools. 

Representatives from charter schools asked for additional funding for facilities. Fast Growth School Coalition Executive Director Guy Sconzo thanked the committee for including funding for the New Instructional Facilities Allotment in the base budget, which helps ISDs and charter schools, and asked senators to help fund the Instructional Facilities Allotment, which not included in the Senate’s proposed budget. He noted that, in not funding the IFA and Existing Debt Allotment, more of the burden of paying school facility debt will be shifted to local taxpayers. 

Others asked the committee to consider funding for various issues, including dual language education, additional state aid for tax reduction, afterschool programs, and support for active and retired teacher healthcare programs.
Austin ISD Trustee and TASB Board Director Jayme Mathias noted that AISD receives less state funding per pupil than charters that operate within the district’s boundaries, and pointed out that AISD has lowered its I&S tax rate by 5 cents over the past three years. Mathias urged legislators to reinvest general revenue savings generated from property value growth back into the Foundation School Program, which could increase the basic allotment and reduce recapture. He explained that AISD does without some programs that would otherwise improve student outcomes because of the lack of funding. At the same time, Mathias said AISD will be sending $406 million back to the state for its next recapture payment and $2.6 billion over the next four years. He added that teachers needed a strong retirement system and help affording healthcare and thanked legislators for considering Mike Morath’s request for Internet infrastructure for classroom connectivity, as the $25 million investment would yield a 9-to-1 match from the federal government. Read his testimony.

AISD Trustee Julie Cowen testified that Austin taxpayers have paid $2.5 billion to Texas over the last 15 years. She explained that her constituents don’t know that, as property values rise and tax collections grow, AISD students see no benefit. She asked that legislators, if they are unable to overhaul the school finance system, increase the basic allotment, update the cost of education index, and allow school boards to raise and lower tax rates within a voter-approved limit. View her testimony.

While over seven hours long, much of the committee hearing is worth viewing.
 
Conservative Coalition Reps Lay Out Priorities

State representatives in the Texas Conservative Coalition met on Wednesday to sign a pledge to support various legislative issues, such as border security. The members also discussed school choice, but admitted that they did not necessarily agree on which variations of choice were acceptable. 

“I’d say there are certain facets of school choice that this coalition supports and others that don’t,” said Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs). “So, that’s an area where we don’t have clearly defined policy that fits within our pledge at this point in time that we’re asking members to support. But there’s a coalition of people that support different forms of choice within the Texas Conservative Coalition.” 

Other members who participated included Reps. Tony Dale (R-Cedar Park), James Frank (R-Wichita Falls), Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth), Jodie Laubenberg (R-Parker), Tan Parker (R- Flower Mound), and Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton).