Jonathan Maxwell, executive director of student programs, outlined the district’s four priorities for the session, which began Jan. 14 and will adjourn June 2, at the March 18 board meeting.
The gist
Maxwell said among the priorities are requests for:
- Changes to bond language to better reflect the property tax rate
- Mandating developers set aside land for future schools
- An increase to the basic allotment
- A change from attendance-to-enrollment-based funding
Texas’s House Bill 3, passed in the 2019 legislative session, requires bond ballots to state, “This is a property tax increase,” even though the LCISD property tax rate has not increased for the bonds passed in 2017, 2020 and 2022, Maxwell said.
“Why this matters is [that] clear language fosters voter trust and allows mercy to address critical facility needs without confusion,” he said.
While LCISD financial records show the district’s interest and shrinking tax rate, which funds the debt service related to bond projects, slightly increased since the 2017-18 school year, the maintenance and operations portion of the rate has shrunk due to state-mandated tax rate compression as property values rise.
“I would be in support of changing the ballot language to something, [but] it needs to let the public know this is not just a benign [...] decision for you,” Welch said. “This will extend the debt of the district and extend your debt as a property owner and as a taxpayer.”
In September, district officials said LCISD was preparing for a possible 2025 bond to fund new schools, in particular in the northern Fulshear area, Community Impact reported.
2. Require developers to set aside land for schools as “critical infrastructure”
With over half of LCISD campuses expected to exceed capacity in the next 10 years, the district is struggling to keep up with the rapid residential development in the north and central portion in particular.
With a critical infrastructure designation, municipalities can implement mandates so developers will set aside land within incoming communities to build schools. Currently, there is no oversight to ensure development accounts for school capacities in the area, Maxwell said.
“[Critical infrastructure designation] will help better manage community growth, reduce overcrowding and ensure children of new residents have access to necessary educational facilities,” Maxwell said.
3. Increase to basic allotment without restrictions
The state’s basic allotment—the base amount of money schools receive per student—has remained the same at $6,160 per student annually since it was raised in 2019.
While House Bill 2 from this legislative session proposes a $220 increase to the basic allotment, some public school advocates have said the basic allotment should increase to at least $7,500 to keep pace with inflation, Community Impact reported.
“The current funding model is not keeping up with the pace of our expansion,” Maxwell said. “LCISD needs increased funding to address inflation, growing student populations and the rising cost of providing quality education.”
Without restrictive conditions, the district would be able to apply the basic allotment toward recruiting and retaining teachers and expanding programs such as career and technical education, Maxwell said.
4. Change from attendance-to-enrollment-based funding
The state uses daily attendance averages to assign funding for schools, according to the Texas Education Agency.
However, LCISD trustees said the number of students attending school could fluctuate on a daily basis, so they believe enrollment is a better indicator of the needs required to anticipate a growing district, trustee Kay Danziger said.
“If [the state] would do an enrollment snapshot several times during a year to see the fluctuations, I think you get a more accurate picture than just saying who's sitting in that chair that day,” Danziger said.
Maxwell said enrollment-based funding could help the district anticipate needs and ensure better resource allocation.
“Our district is experiencing rapid growth, and funding based on attendance does not reflect our increasing enrollment,” Maxwell said. “[With enrollment-based funding], we can better anticipate needs, plan for the future and ensure resources are allocated where they're most needed.”
Next steps
LCISD officials will send a delegation of district leaders and board members to Austin on March 24 to meet with various local representatives and discuss district priorities.
“The goal of this trip is to strengthen the relationship with state lawmakers and work collaboratively towards solutions that enhance educational opportunities for all students,” Maxwell said.
Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens encouraged community members to reach out to their representatives in support of the district’s priorities, despite the fact he said many representatives he has spoken to do not believe that issues such as the basic allotment will receive significant attention this legislative session.
“If we don't say something, we'll get anything. ...That's why these priorities are so important,” Nivens said.
