HB2
Position Statement
Overview
The Plano Independent School District is depending upon the state
government to ensure that public education is adequately
funded throughout the state and that districts are provided with appropriate
funding to enable them to recruit and retain excellent
teachers
as provided in Judge Dietz’s ruling in September 2004.
He very aggressively stated that the school finance
system is under-funded, and that districts need more money
in order to help students meet
the new state and federal standards.
Additionally, the state has an obligation to guarantee an equitable
and effective means of funding the education of our public schools,
while allowing districts to determine their unique needs and fund
them accordingly under local control. It is appreciated that new
money is made available in HB2, however these funds come at a high
price to local districts and do not offer a solution to our current
financial dilemma. In reviewing this proposed legislation, it is
not in the spirit of our cry to fund public education at an adequate
level for all Texas children.
The plan provided in HB2 brings resources to districts, but there
are strings attached that mandate spending and new programming.
Instead of allowing districts to assess their current needs, this
bill provides new money on the state’s terms, while local
districts grapple with compromised programs, strapped budgets,
and the complications that have arisen due to an inadequate funding
system. In fact, the current funding system allows Plano ISD to
retain $1.03 per $100 of assessed property value. HB2 will reduce
that amount to $1.00 per $100 of assessed property value with any
additional monies being subjected to state governance instead of
the discretion of the local districts. New resources provided in
HB2 do not solve Plano ISD’s financial crisis and further
erode local governance of districts.
Strings Attached to Access
to New Funds
Incentive pay
This
plan introduces an incentive pay plan for teachers
based on individual educator performance,
which does not promote a team approach to teaching
today’s students.
It is insinuated that Texas teachers are not doing
a good job and undermines the statistics that show
incredible growth in the achievement
of school children when compared to other states.
Campus
performance v. individual performance
The leadership
of Plano ISD contends that incentives should be based
upon campus performance instead of individual achievement, which will likely
be divisive among teachers who should strive collectively
on behalf of their students.
Conditional funds with strings attached
HB2 offers
conditional funds that reduce Plano ISD’s flexibility to
place dollars where they are needed.
Erosion of Local Control
Elections
School board elections, traditionally
held each May to elect trustees to three-year terms,
will be required to join general elections in November
which expose school governance
to partisan politics.
Additionally, terms of school
board members will be extended to four-year terms,
which could compromise
a prospective community leader’s decision to agree to a more
lengthy commitment.
Plano ISD will have to financially
participate in the cost of a larger election process
by joining the
general election timeline, which will ultimately
cost more than hosting a traditional
local election in conjunction with the city government.
Plano
ISD will be required to hold an election to allow
voters to approve every two-cent increase
of local enrichment money. This is an extreme measure
of loss for local funding control
and will be an added election expense to the district.
Calendar
Proposed legislation in HB2 will require districts
to observe a start date for the school after Labor
Day and an ending day on or before June 7. If this
legislation passes, Plano ISD
will not be able to offer the school community the
traditional fall, winter, and spring breaks, and will
compromise other calendar
features that are long-held traditions in the district.
Obligation
for state mandates/programs shifted to local districts:
The state has repealed their obligation
to provide pass-through funding of the $1,000 guaranteed to teachers, yet now
requires
local districts to provide the same amount using
local dollars with no additional funding mechanism to offset the
new cost.
Summary
In summary, HB2 does indeed offer new funding opportunities to
districts, but the many constituents may not be aware of the extreme
local cost to district’s already in a compromised financial
state. The State of Texas has a responsibility to provide an excellent
education for all students and to allocate the necessary funding.
There has been an attempt to bring new funding dollars to Plano
ISD, but this bill comes at too high of a price to our school community.
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