The details
The DSISD board voiced support for legislation that focuses on increased funding and giving local school districts control over programming and allocation of funds.
The three legislative priorities for the district are:
- Increasing the basic student allotment, adding a procedure which increases allotment every two years based on inflation and the cost of providing educational services to students
- Additional state funding for mandates from the Texas Legislature, specifically mandates regarding safety and security, special education services and reading academies
- Giving local school districts and school boards control over curriculum, programming and allocation of funds that are received outside of state and federal funding
The context
The support for increased student allotment comes as the allotment rate has not been raised since 2019. For the past six years the basic student allotment rate, which is the base amount of money schools receive per student, has stood at $6,160, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Texas stands $4,800 below the national average, according to a 2024 report by the National Education Association.
Texas schools were also required to fulfill mandates from the Texas legislature, including a mandate to have at least one armed security officer on campus during regular school hours. Schools were given $15,000 a year to use for school safety initiatives, as previously reported by Community Impact.
DSISD also faces a budget shortfall for the 2024-25 fiscal year, citing financial strains such as state mandates, lack of public school funding overall, and a slow rate of property value growth, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Stay tuned
The 89th Texas Legislature is currently underway. The Texas Senate will reconvene at 1 p.m. Jan. 22, and the Texas House will meet at 2 p.m. Jan. 22.
