The LTISD board of trustees approved the district’s priorities for the 89th legislative session at a Nov. 20 meeting, weeks before state lawmakers reconvene in January.
Zooming out
The district's legislative priorities cover five major areas, including:
- Funding public schools
- Making taxation transparent
- Restructuring accountability
- Supporting staff
- Maintaining local control
“I think it’s going to resonate with our community and our staff and hopefully our legislature, so I’m fully behind it,” Place 6 board member Robert Aird said about the priorities.
Zooming in
The district will advocate for a $1,000 increase to the basic allotment of funding per student with a yearly adjustment for inflation, according to district documents. The basic allotment has remained at $6,160 per student since 2019.
LTISD is asking the state to fund districts based on enrollment instead of attendance, fully fund all state-enforced mandates, and oppose a school voucher program that would earmark public dollars for private schools.
Additionally, LTISD is requesting that the state amend tax bills in accordance with recapture as “taxpayers deserve to know where their dollars are going,” according to the flyer. The LTISD document describes the recapture system as “broken” and states that its property taxes should remain in the district.
LTISD is projected to pay $51 million of its local property taxes to the state under the recapture system for fiscal year 2024-25, district documents state.
What else?
The district is seeking that the Texas Education Agency follow current law related to testing standards and set accountability benchmarks before the beginning of the school year. This request comes after more than 100 school districts sued the agency for proposed changes to its A-F accountability rating system over the last two years.
LTISD is calling for the state to “prioritize teacher and staff compensation and benefits,” including adjusting Teacher Retirement System funding for inflation. The district is asking the state to reduce teacher shortages by providing affordable certifications and competitive salaries.
Another priority highlights local school districts making their own decisions and opposes efforts to adopt a “common state curriculum.” In November, the State Board of Education voted to adopt state-made textbooks, which have received criticism for featuring frequent biblical references.
The background
District officials have discussed a need for increased school funding in recent years as the district adopts mounting budget shortfalls.
In August, LTISD adopted a $4 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2024-25 after making around $2.8 million in cuts, $1.2 million of which were related to special education. The district approved its lowest pay raise for staff in over a decade at 1%.
In October, the district’s FY 2024-25 budget shortfall rose to $6 million amid lower enrollment and community members protesting their property value appraisals.
