Superintendent Update for October 10, 2023:
In a letter dated September 26, 2023, Governor Greg Abbott notified House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick of his intention to call a Third Special Session of the Texas Legislature to begin at 1:00 pm on Monday, October 9, 2023. The letter did not specify the focus of the special session. On October 5th, Governor Abbott released his agenda for the session stating four items. He called for “Education Freedom” through education savings accounts or tax-payer funded accounts that parents could use for alternative education costs. This has been touted as “school choice” or school vouchers. The letter also called for the legislature to address immigration and border security, laws to block the mandating of COVID-19 vaccines for employees, and the security and safety of illegal immigration settlements like Colony Ridge north of Houston.
There was no mention of additional funding for schools in the form of raising the dollars per students to provide a free and appropriate education for Texas Public school children. There was also no mention of teacher pay raises. The Comptroller’s Office has certified a $33 billion dollar surplus for the last biennium and projects an $18 billion dollar surplus for the coming biennium. Never before has Texas had these large amounts in the coffers and a chance to fully fund schools. As I think about the special session and the surplus, I am reminded of some facts concerning Texas Public School Funding. The facts are:
Public Schools educate 90% of the more than 5.2 million students in the state.
Texas ranks in the bottom 10% in the per-student funding of the nation. We rank 42nd in the U.S. in this category.
Texas funds public schools with a basic allotment formula at a rate of $6,160 per student each year which is $4, 000 below the national average.
In Texas, the more than 344,000 teachers earn about 22% less than their counterparts in other states.
In 2021, the average pay for starting teachers was $2,648 per year higher than the national average but the top average salary for 20 years of service or more was $13,000 below the national average.
The Texas State Minimum Salary Pay Scale is set up to pay teachers more on the front end and scale down with years of experience. In theory, this would attract starting teachers but, in reality, it penalizes our highly experienced educators.
Texas teachers are exiting the profession at a rate of 25% higher than the national average. Teachers cite lower than average pay, challenging work conditions, and lack of adequate support as the top three reasons for leaving the classroom.
“School choice” is a buzz word being thrown around when school vouchers are discussed. I am not against parents deciding where best to educate their children and I see it alive and well in Texas. If a parent chooses to send their child to another district, the state pays for that student to attend the out of district campus. I disagree with state leadership that wishes to send public tax payer dollars to private institutions. Public dollars should be spent on public education.
With the aforementioned state surplus of $33 billion dollars, we must fully fund public education in Texas. This Third Special Session will be the opportunity for legislators to adequately pay teachers and raise the basic allotment for per student funding from the state. With no agenda item posed by Governor Abbott that addresses these issues, a solution to underfunded schools is unlikely.