Funding plan needs a major overhaul
Tuesday, May 28, 2008
Editorial
Public school finance in Texas still leaves a lot to be desired and must be a top priority for the next legislative session.
The quick fix lawmakers came up with under duress in 2006 is not a workable long-term solution. Too many school districts are already feeling the pinch from the inequitable distribution of funds the plan has created.
The legislative actions on public school finance helped shift some of the tax burden away from local property taxpayers but did not fully address the funding needs of the more than 1,000 diverse school districts in the state.
It is unfair to tell school districts to just deal with it and find a way to make the plan work.
Public education is an important component in the future success of the state.
It is penny-wise and pound-foolish to shortchange education.
In response to a question about the budget crunch some school districts are facing, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry recently said that it is important to remember that school districts and school boards have local control over setting their own budget.
“It is up to the local school boards and district to determine how best to spend the funds,” Allison Castle, told veteran Express-News reporter Gary Scharrer.
While that is all true, it is also important to remember that state lawmakers have set limits on how much school districts can collect from taxpayers to fund their education mission.
Current funding for public schools is tied to what districts were getting in 2006.
That is unfair in view of the tremendous increase in fuel and utilities costs in recent months.
State Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, chairman of the House Select Committee on Higher and Public Education Finance, told Scharrer one of the things he would like lawmakers to consider next session is developing a cost-of-living index so schools can cope with annual inflation.
Branch also wants lawmakers to consider allowing school districts to keep some of the tax revenue from increased property values.
Those ideas are worth pursuing.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the current public school finance plan is not going to work in the long-term.