What Houston-area school districts are asking lawmakers

HOUSTON – The ;Houston Chronicle reports that funding is at the top of the agenda for Houston area school districts as the 89th session of the Texas Legislature begins on Jan. 14. After a few strained budget years for Texas school districts, amid the rise of inflation, an increase in special education services and a stagnant basic allotment, many districts had to make deep cuts this year, including eliminating librarians, closing schools and slashing transportation routes. Some area school boards are pleading with legislators to bolster funding this session. But funding isn’t the only ask from area ISDs. Districts are also hoping for a reduction in state-mandated assessments for students, changing discipline laws and at least one district asked the Legislature to reject school voucher legislation.

As hundreds of bills flood in from senators and representatives, a handful are already meeting these requests, including increasing the basic allotment, fully funding districts that provide a local optional homestead exemption and changing the funding formula from average daily attendance to average enrollment. But whether those bills will gain enough traction to become law is unknown. Conroe, Fort Bend, Katy and Spring Branch ISDs all included increasing the basic allotment in their legislative priorities. Cy-Fair ISD did not include increasing the basic allotment in its priorities, but listed other funding needs. The four districts and other statewide groups have advocated for an increase to the basic allotment of $6,160, which has not changed since 2019. These districts also asked for a funding model that includes automatic adjustments for inflation, so that the Legislature isn’t required to convene to increase funding. A Chronicle analysis of area shortfalls found that districts incurred $857 million in deficits during just last school year. Policy analyst Eva Deluna said in June that the basic allotment would have to be $7,500 to account for inflation. The total per-student funding in Texas is also $4,000 below the national average, according to National Education Association statistics. In Fort Bend ISD’s resolution, the board said the state has not done its job funding public education. “Key elements of school funding, such as the basic allotment, special education funding weights… school safety allotment, and pre-Kindergarten funding have not increased in over five years and have not kept pace with inflation, the actual cost to provide services, and fail to adequately fund Texas public school districts,” Board President Kristen Tassin wrote. Tassin also added that per-student funding has declined over the past decade and continues to do so.