The letter, released Oct. 11, advocates for the legislative session to provide resources and funding for CISD and other public school districts in the state.
Background
The 88th Texas Legislature's regular session, which began in January and ended in May, did not result in any public school funding reform or increase to the basic allotment—the amount of money each district receives in relation to student attendance factors. The letter notes the district has "limited control" over how their tax revenue is spent, and additional revenue is recaptured by the state, which is known as the "Robin Hood" system.
The letter also calls for a minimum increase of $1,000 per student for the basic allotment to account for inflation since 2019.
The special legislative session will include discussion on the school voucher system, which provides families $8,000 for each student they pull out of public school and put into private education.
A closer look
In addition to an increase in basic allotment, CISD is advocating for the Legislature to prioritize public education funding over private schools, stating private schools "lack oversight and transparency, and are not held accountable to parents or the state." The statement acknowledges 151 counties in the state do not have private schools, and the state government's revenue is largely dependent on public school districts.
The board of trustees also advocated for a prepayment discount for recapture, which is an incentive for districts to reduce their recapture payment by paying early. According to the Texas School Coalition, this system is "a simple way to reduce recapture for all districts required to pay it, without a significant cost to the state." The letter also states this discount would allow the district to offer more competitive compensation for their teachers.
The letter says the district will continue to call for relief and transparency from the Legislature about recapture dollars, which are put into the state's general fund, which has an excess revenue of $32 billion. The board of trustees stated they will be at the special session to engage in a dialogue with the state's senators and representatives. Finally, the letter concluded with a link from Raise Your Hand Texas with additional information on the issue of public school funding and a message users can send to lawmakers.
Quote of note
"During the regular legislative session last spring, our state lawmakers had access to a record $32 billion in excess revenue, yet they did not provide any significant increase in per-student funding for public schools," the district's letter states. "Our priority during this special session is to ensure that Coppell ISD, and all public schools, receive the necessary resources required to meet the needs of our students and competitively compensate our dedicated teachers and staff."
