School Finance Reform

One of the major reasons that this blog was started was to provide a forum to discuss issues relating to public education as a whole, not just WISD. I'm not sure if I'm accomplishing that goal in the way I intended, but I thought I'd take a few minutes today to discuss a state-wide issue: school finance reform.

I've talked previously how low Westphalia ranks in its revenue. We are the 5th lowest district in the state as far as target revenue per weighted average daily attendance (WADA) and are in the bottom 10 districts in the state as far as overall taxable value. That is a bad combination for a school district, and we are in need of some serious reform in order to create a more equity in how we are funded.

There are two bills in the TX Legislature right now that are intended to address the problems of school finance. Senate Bill 982 and House Bill 1555 are companion bills that attempt to return school funding to a formula funding system driven by student need and less reliant on local property tax value. These bills shift some of the share for school funding back to the state and hold the state accountable for its fair share of public education funding. By all accounts (at least from school finance gurus who look at funding from the school's perspective), these bills create a more dynamic and long-term solution than what the current system provides and will increase equity around the state.

My fear is that Austin politics will get in the way of doing what is right for students. I've been told that one of the major proponents of the bill who helped craft it is so polarizing that some legislative members will not vote for the bill just because his name is attached to it. It will be ashamed if a bill that can really make a difference for students does not pass due to personal grudges. I encourage you to reach out to your state representative or senator and tell them to vote in favor of SB 982 and HB 1555. Politicians are (generally) not fools, and they do listen to their constituents when they call.