EISD officials have compiled a list of five key items prioritizing school funding and safety, which was unanimously approved by the board of trustees Nov. 19.
The details
Board President James Spradley and trustees Laura Clark and Heather Sheffield serve as EISD’s Board of Trustees Legislative Committee.
The board reviewed a draft of legislative priorities at a June 4 meeting before finalizing the list Nov. 19, which includes:
Increasing the basic allotment
Texas’ basic allotment of $6,160, or how much the state pays school districts for each student, has not increased since 2019 despite a 22.6% national inflation rate in the five years since.
EISD officials say if the basic allotment is increased to “provide the same purchasing power as in 2019,” it would need to be raised to $7,552, which would reduce EISD’s 2024-25 recapture amount to $83.6 million. The district is expected to send $95.2 million in recapture to the state this year.
Additionally, EISD received $7.2 million in state funding for special education in 2023-24, despite spending $16.5 million, per agenda documents.
EISD officials say the special education funding as a function of the basic allotment would need to more than double in order to cover special education expenses in 2024-25 and beyond.
Indexing the basic allotment to inflation
As the basic allotment remains stagnant while inflation increases, EISD officials are seeking an automatic adjustment to the basic allotment that is tied to inflation.
Per agenda documents, this “predictable and annual update” would help districts make more informed and sustainable decisions about compensation and operations.
Reducing the recapture burden
EISD officials say reinstating the optional early payment discount, which was eliminated for school districts in 2019, could provide relief by giving districts an option to make recapture payments in August or earlier in the year.
A 4% early payment discount could reduce EISD’s recapture obligation by $4 million in 2024-25, Clark said.
Increasing funding for the School Safety Allotment
EISD received about $210,000 for this allotment in 2024-25, per agenda documents. However, the district’s current budget for police operations—which the allotment can go toward—is $1.17 million, and does not include expenses for creating the police department or hiring new officers.
Ensuring accountability for public dollars
EISD officials say any school or educational entity that receives public funds should be held to the same standards of student outcomes and services, fiscal performance, and open records and meetings that public schools are.
Stay tuned
The 89th Texas Legislature convenes Jan. 14 in Austin, and EISD officials said continued interactions and meetings with legislators are planned in the coming weeks.
Lawmakers have already filed over 1,500 bills ahead of the session, including bills on education, abortion and immigration, as reported by Community Impact. However, less than 10% of legislation filed during the last legislative session in 2023 ultimately became law.
