Want Texas to build the next great workforce? State needs to boost school funding | Opinion
Although classes may have been out for the summer, the work of Texas public schools is year-round. The summer months are especially pivotal for locally elected school board trustees and administrators.
As budgets are being adopted and school districts across the state are facing shortfalls, difficult decisions in staffing and program cuts are happening now.
My work in public education advocacy means I travel across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I visit with teachers, locally elected board members, business and chamber leaders, and faith communities. There’s a common theme cutting across constituencies: a real concern about the Texas Legislature’s lack of financial commitment to our public schools, students, and their teachers.
North Texas parents and employers alike love our public schools. We all want kids to receive a high-quality education that prepares them to be the next generation of leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. We know that high-quality schools and innovative programs in our public schools are shaping the future workforce.
Across the region, we see great things happening in public schools worthy of the state’s support and investment.
Garland ISD is a public school district that is making a difference. The district recently received the Dallas County Economic Mobility Award, recognizing exceptional performance in preparing economically disadvantaged students for life after graduation.
In Richardson, the district’s Healthcare Careers Academy is delivering rigorous, innovative, career-focused education opportunities that will help meet our area’s growing need for access to quality healthcare.
Career and technical education is a focal point in Arlington ISD at the Dan Dipert CTE Center, leveraging partnerships with area employers to best prepare students for future careers.
And here in Fort Worth, the I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and Visual Performing Arts works with local industry partners to provide work-based experiences at all grade levels and creates opportunities to earn industry certifications and associate degrees before high school graduation.
These are just a few examples of innovation and excellence in local public schools. The abundance of choice and opportunity offered to all North Texas students in public schools deserves our support. To continue to provide excellent programs in our schools, we must acknowledge money matters in public education.
Money funds education at every level, from pre-K to high school AP classes. It’s what keeps class sizes low and provides a wide range of extracurricular and enrichment programs for every student. Paying our teachers ensures North Texas schools can recruit and retain qualified educators.
Unfortunately, as the state’s two-year budget was adopted last year, lawmakers did not provide sufficient funding for our schools, increasing the burden on local taxpayers and putting school districts in a very difficult financial environment.
During their regular session and four subsequent special sessions, Texas lawmakers failed to increase the basic allotment for public schools. That’s the per-student funding that is critical to delivering the education every child deserves and every parent expects.
Texas ranks in the bottom 10 nationwide for per-student funding, around $4,000 per student less than the national average. With our 5.5 million students, an additional $24 billion would be needed just to get Texas to the average. Texas can and should do better.
It’s time for the state of Texas to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to public schools and students.
And it’s time for parents, business leaders, local community advocates, teachers and students to remind the Texas Legislature money matters in public education. Let’s invest in our future.
