School Funding, A Major Priority!

Today, we face so many economic challenges but our commitment to education remains steadfast.  This year, in the face of a state revenue shortfall of more than $1 billion, our recently enacted General Fund budget increased our basic education subsidy by $250 million.  Our economic woes are forcing school districts to furlough teachers.  Academic programs are being canceled.  Many districts have already raised property taxes, their only alternative to fund education when the state does not.  In an editorial article written at Austin American Statesman on Sept. 18th, it was discussed that school funding should be one of the major priority.  In a lawsuit contained Texas school districts that filed alleging that the way public education is funded in Texas is inequitable to the point of being unconstitutional.  School funding system that continues to rely more heavily on local real estate taxes inherently creates disparities in expenditures and the quality of instruction.  While long term commitment to a more equitable school funding system has now been funded for three years, the state is little more than a third of the way toward our full adequacy funding targets.  The federal state mandate requiring all students to meet performance goals by 2014 is now just three years away.  If that standard were in place today, more than 1,500 schools and nearly half of our school districts would receive a failing grade.  During the last eight years, we have made substantial progress to close those gaps.  Finally, we must continue and maintain our commitment to our children to ensure their success.