• Legislative Timeline

    2020-21  Advocacy Efforts for the 87th Texas Legislative Session

    2018-19

    • August 29, 2019 - Plano ISD hosted North Texas districts and elected officials at Sockwell Center on Thursday, August 29. Collin County superintendents, trustees and legislators attended the session regarding an update on HB3 provided by Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. Taking part in the discussions were superintendents from Allen, Anna, Celina, Community, Farmersville, Frisco, Lovejoy, Plano, Princeton, Prosper, Royse City and Wylie Independent School Districts. Plano ISD Board President Tammy Richards, Board Vice President Angela Powell and Trustee David Stolle as well as Plano ISD COO Dr. Theresa Williams attended the session. Local state senators and representatives and Pam Little, State Board of Education District 12, were invited to attend.

    Superintendents and legislators at HB3 Update Session

    • May 17, 2019 - Several Texas public school districts joined with local chambers of commerce, to host press conferences around the state. Plano ISD and the Plano Chamber of Commerce participated in the North Texas area press conference hosted at Dallas ISD. The press conference addressed the proposal to calculate school funding using property values from the current year, rather than the existing practice of using prior year property values. Plano ISD and other districts addressed budget impacts that are specific to their schools.

    Board at joint press conference

    • May, 2019 - Letter sent to Senate and House conferees in partnership with other Texas public school districts regarding the use of current-year property. "Shifting from prior-year to current-year values would substantially diminish, or in many cases, virtually eliminate any benefit that our school districts would otherwise receive from positive changes in the new formulas. In most cases it would cause significantly more harm than the current funding system. It is not a one-year adjustment. Moving to current-year values would cause local property tax growth to benefit the state instead of the local school district." Read Letter.

    • April 19, 2019 - Community Impact Newspaper article, Plano ISD: Hopes for balanced budget ride on state funding bill. 

    • April 2, 2019 - School District Leaders Head to Texas Capitol For Education Funding Vote in House. School Board President, Missy Bender, spoke with CBS 11 about House Bill 3 prior to joining other district leaders in Austin today. 

    Missy Bender interview with Channel 11

    • March 26-27, 2019 - Travel to Austin for Collin County Days to  meet with legislators and area elected officials to learn more about the important issues facing our county.

    • March 15, 2019 - Plano ISD understands that there are parents, staff and community members concerned about the language contained in House Bill 3 that would repeal the Gifted and Talented allotment and roll those funds into the basic funding formula. Students and families can be assured that excellent and appropriate gifted and talented programs and services will continue without change in Plano ISD regardless of the state funding allocation process. More Information regarding the gifted and talented allotment in Plano ISD and HB 3.

    • February 27-28, 2019 - The Board of Trustees, Superintendent of Schools Sara Bonser and district leadership traveled to Austin for Plano Legislative Days, a joint program which includes representatives from the City of Plano and the Plano Chamber of Commerce. Plano ISD Board and district leadership met with our delegates, including Representative Candy Noble, Chief of Staff for Representative Matt Shaheen, Chairman Jeff Leach and Senator Angela Paxton, for discussions regarding pending legislation and school finance models. View Plano Legislative Days flyer and Legislative Days accessible flyer.

    Board and district leadership at the Capitol

    • February 25, 2019 - Plano ISD PTAs participated in Rally Day at the Capitol along with twenty-eight students who participated in the student caucus regarding community and civic engagement. 

    Students and PTA at the Capitol

     

    • January 18, 2019 - 86th Legislative 2019 Texas Senate Committees.

    • January 8, 2019 - An interview with WBAP radio was conducted on January 8. 

    • January 7, 2019 - WFAA's Verify Road Trip aired a video feature titled “Is Robin Hood Broken?”. David Schechter, reporter/host and co-producer, interviewed Plano ISD Board President Missy Bender as part of the feature. WFAA's Verify also aired a live spot on January 7.

    • December, 2018 - Texas Legislative Activities December 2018 Report

    • December 21, 2018 - NBC 5 included an interview with School Board President Missy Bender in news coverage regarding the new legislative report on public school finance.

    • December 18, 2018 - Community Impact Newspaper article titled State’s School Funding Formulas Unsustainable, Outdated, Commission Finds summarizing discussion at the December 18 Plano Chamber of Commerce event.

    • December 14, 2018 - Board legislative committee and district leadership meeting with Texas State Representative for District 66 Matt Shaheen to share Plano ISD's legislative priorities and information about Plano ISD.

    • December 11, 2018 - Board legislative committee and district leadership meeting with Texas State Representative Elect for District 8 Angela Paxton to share Plano ISD's legislative priorities and information about Plano ISD.

    • December 10, 2018 - Board legislative committee and district leadership meeting with Texas State Representative for District 67 Jeff Leach to share Plano ISD's legislative priorities and information about Plano ISD.

    • December 7, 2018 - Board legislative committee and district leadership meeting with Texas State Representative Elect for District 89 Candy Noble to share Plano ISD's legislative priorities and information about Plano ISD.
    • October 28, 2018 - Advertisement about Taxparency in the Plano Star Courier: "You Pay Your Taxes, Now Pay Attention!"

    • October 25, 2018 - Taxparency and school finance parent information session at Centennial Elementary with Board President Missy Bender and Board Secretary Nancy Humphrey.

    • October 22, 2018 - Board President Missy Bender and Board Secretary Nancy Humphrey spoke with McMillen High School PTSA to discuss school finance, property taxes and Taxparency. The McMillen High School PTSA captured their presentation via Facebook Live.

    • September 14, 2018 - Letter from Board President Missy Bender to legislators, regarding comparison of recapture burden on Plano ISD from 2015 to present. 

    • August 31, 2018 - Dallas Morning News article: "Tired of Robin Hood, Plano ISD board president says school funding model 'unsustainable'."

    • August 30, 2018 - Plano First Executive Breakfast Series: The impact of School Finance on Plano's Success, hosted by the Plano Chamber of Commerce and Collin County Business Alliance, (view video). Panelists included Board President Missy Bender, a school finance presentation made by CFO Randy McDowell, panelist Todd Williams chairman and president/CEO of The Commit Partnership and moderator Eric Celeste, contributing editor, D Magazine.

    • August 4, 2018 - Plano Star Courier: PISD trustees approve $208M recapture payment; Bender surprised with 2018 Citizen of the Year Honor; The Board of Trustees reluctantly approved the recapture payment after an explanation by CFO Randy McDowell on consequences to the district if not approved and comments by Trustees.

    2017-18

    2016-17

    • June 6, 2017 – Legislative Update School Board Meeting, June 6. Board discussion of proposed legislation potentially affecting the district. Presentation | Priorities | HB 21 Statement.

    • May 16, 2017 – Legislative Update School Board Meeting, May 16. Board discussion of proposed legislation potentially affecting the district. Plano ISD Legislative Report, May 16.

    • May 2, 2017 – Legislative Update School Board Meeting, May 2. Board discussion of proposed legislation potentially affecting the district.

    • April 14, 2017 – Board President Missy Bender was interviewed for a Texas Tribune article related to property tax relief, “Analysis: The taxes Texas school districts are afraid to cut.” 

    • April 4, 2017 – Plano Star Courier article on Taxparency: "PISD’s Taxparency Bills Garners Little Support at State House Meeting."

    • April 4, 2017 – Legislative Update School Board Meeting, April 4. Board discussion of proposed legislation potentially affecting the district.

    • March 28, 2017 – Superintendent's Update sent from Dr. Brian Binggeli to employees regarding HB 22.

    • March 22, 2017 – Dr. Brian Binggeli testified before the House Public Education Committee as they considered HB 22, related to assessment and accountability. 

    • March 14, 2017 – Board Secretary Carrolyn Moebius traveled to Austin to testify on behalf of the board regarding HB 620 authored by Representative Jeff Leach relating to the first day of instruction at a public school.

    • March 5, 2017 – Plano Star Courier interviewed School Board President Missy Bender about vouchers: "The cost of education: School board president discusses impact of possible voucher system."

    • February 15-16, 2017 – Plano Legislative Days, Austin, Plano ISD Board of Trustees and district leadership traveled to Austin to the state capitol building where they met with legislators to discuss Plano ISD's legislative priorities.

    • February 15, 2017 – Board President Missy Bender and Plano ISD legislative priorities related to Taxparency and property tax relief were featured in Texas Monthly, “Are Your Property Taxes Too High? Thank a Legislator.”

    • February 7, 2017 (board meeting) – Board meeting update on the status of proposed legislation potentially affecting the district. This included a letter from President Missy Bender to Senate Finance Committee Members, Senate Education Committee Members, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Governor Greg Abbott which described the impact of increasing property values upon school districts that are subject to and must submit to recapture: Letter to Legislative Contingent - January 30, 2017.

    • January 24, 2017 (board meeting) – The board adopted the final Legislative Priorities for the 85th legislative session. The revised and final Legislative Priorities include supporting transparency in taxation, or “Taxparency,” a grass-roots effort initiated by a collaboration of Texas public school districts acting on behalf of their schools and communities who expect tax dollars paid to their school district to be used in public education. Read more at www.taxparencytexas.org.

    • January 10, 2017 – Superintendents Update sent from Dr. Brian Binggeli to district employees and eNews subscribers, "How Plano ISD Measures Its Performance and why we think you should know."

    • January 9, 2017 – Region 10 superintendents and administrators hosted a joint press conference at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX. The priorities discussed included a call to repeal the A-F campus and district grading systems, opposition to vouchers or Education Savings Grants and an increase in funding for Texas' public schools.

    • January 6, 2017 – Plano ISD eNews article: Plano ISD Responds to Texas Education Agency’s ‘Work-in-Progress’ Report. Plano ISD remains focused on the progress and achievement of all students. “We understand and support the state’s placing significant weight on the achievement of economically disadvantaged students and those from all racial/ethnic subgroups,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Binggeli.

    • December 16, 2016 – Community Impact Newspaper article mentions the longtime Plano ISD legislative priority regarding flexibility in the school start date and President Missy Bender is quoted.

    • November 23, 2016 – Community Impact Newspaper article: “Plano ISD seeking transparency for ‘Robin Hood’ funding.”

    • October 20, 2016 – Letter to the Plano ISD community regarding property tax relief was sent by Superintendent Brian Binggeli’s to explain, “what happens to the additional taxes you pay as your property values increase,” featuring Plano ISD. Robin Hood overview.

    • October 19, 2016 – Community Impact Newspaper article: “Why Plano ISD trustees want to be included in the rising property values discussion”

    • October 19, 2016 – A Joint Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Plano ISD and the Plano City Council attended by the Plano ISD board, district leadership and city council including Mayor Harry LaRosiliere. Plano ISD gave presentations on: student enrollment demographics, an update on the fine arts center and review/discussion of the Plano ISD legislative program. Presentations by the City included: review and discussion of City of Plano legislative program and discussion on next steps for interagency collaboration.

    • October 4, 2016 (board meeting) - The board approved a modified version of the district’s legislative priorities as submitted by the Board subcommittee formed to consider legislative priorities for the 85th Legislative Session. Preliminary draft of legislative priorities as presented.

    • October 3, 2016 – The Plano ISD school board members and administrators participated in a discussion of the state’s role in public education funding at the Senate Select Committee on Property Tax Reform and Relief (Plano ISD begins at 4:05:31).

    • September 6, 2016 (board meeting) – The board adopted the Resolution Regarding Property Tax Relief and Transparency in Taxation.

    • July 6, 2016 – Plano Star Courier article: "PISD Board VP Helps Set Legislative Agenda."

    2015-16

    • April 26, 2016 – Trustees hosted a legislative breakfast at Beaty Early Childhood School. The Plano ISD Board of Trustees and leadership team met with legislators for breakfast and discussion.

    • April 19, 2016 (work session) – The Board Legislative Subcommittee consisting of members Missy Bender board vice president, Nancy Humphrey board president and David Stolle, presented a preliminary draft of Plano ISD Legislative Priorities for discussion with legislators at a legislative breakfast meeting at Beaty Early Childhood School on April 26, 2016.

    • December 2, 2015 – Trustees hosted a legislative luncheon at Plano East Senior High School Bistro. The Plano ISD Board of Trustees and leadership team met with legislators for lunch and reflection regarding the 84th legislative session and to begin a continuing dialogue between Trustees and legislators regarding the 85th legislative session.

    • November 3, 2015 (board meeting) – In preparation for the 85th Texas Legislative session, a board subcommittee comprising Board President Nancy Humphrey, Board Vice-President Missy Bender and Trustee David Stolle presented a timeline of discussion topics to begin in 2015 leading to the January 2017 session.

    • October 6, 2015 (board meeting) – The board and administration reviewed state and local education legislative action and discussed ways of engaging representatives to learn what is needed to take district initiatives forward.

     
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