The details
With the opening of the 89th Texas Legislature Jan. 14, Schnautz explained the work he and GCISD staff have been doing to prepare for the session.
“I had the opportunity to meet with Representative Brad Buckley, who chaired the House Public Education Committee in the last session, and Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath to discuss the future of public education in our state,” Schnautz said. “Public school funding remains a priority in this session, but while the initial budget proposals coming from both the House and Senate are a step in the right direction, they fall short of getting us back to the funding levels we saw in 2019 while the state is beginning this session with a $24 billion surplus.”
He then urged GCISD parents and staff to “speak up for our schools to get the funding they deserve.”
What you need to know
Schnautz suggested a few steps district residents can take to support GCISD legislative efforts:
- Start familiarizing themselves with the district's legislative priorities, which can be found at gcisd.net/89thsession.
- Find out more about GCISD’ collaborative efforts with districts across the state at fundschoolsfirst.org.
- Reach out directly to legislators to share their support for an increase in funding for public education. Representative contact information can be found at https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home.
The backstory
School districts across the state face financial challenges due to state funding not increasing since 2019. Voters in GCISD recently approved a VATRE to help the district finance a $5.3 million shortfall.
