FOR A WHILE NOW DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN MAKING DO WITH LESS AND LESS. SINCE 2019 TO BE EXACT. THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE SETS A BASIC AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT EACH SCHOOL HAS TO EDUCATE A STUDENT AND 2019 WAS THE LAST TIME IT WAS CHANGED. THAT’S A WHOLE PANDEMIC AGO. SO, IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION SCHOOLS WERE DUE FOR A RAISE, BUT THAT ALLOTMENT GOT TIED WITH GOVERNOR GREG ABBOT’S SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM. NO VOUCHER PROGRAM MEANT NO UPDATE TO THE ALLOTMENT. WHICH MEANS MANY DISTRICTS ARE FINDING THEIR BUDGETS IN THE RED AFTER INFLATION AND THE END OF FEDERAL COVID FUNDS. AMY DODSON OF THE EDUCATION ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS SAYS IT MAY NOT BE GETTING ANY BETTER.
“As we look toward the next legislative session, that the way school budgets work, schools will be working on their budgets before the legislature actually completes and funds the next biennium, of funding to schools. So schools are hurting right now, but it it very likely and and quite possibly could look worse for 2526, the way the funding cycles work.”
SO HOW ARE SOME SCHOOLS GETTING BY?
RIESEL ISD SUPERINTENDENT BRANDON COPE SAYS THEY TRY TO BALANCE
THE BUDGET BEFORE IT RUNS INTO A DEFICIT.
“ …the way we've looked at our numbers, we'll look at them again this morning. we had a slight deficit. potential deficit this morning.
We ran some runs, but, by lunch today, we had already found those somewhere else in the budget. No, we budget conservatively.”
COPE SAYS THEY ARE CUTTING BACK ON FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE AND WON’T BE CUTTING BACK ON STAFF. HE ALSO SAYS THEY ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE IF THEY DO RUN INTO A DEFICIT. BUT THIS YEAR WASNT EASY.
“This year's was this year has been the hardest year to budget than it's ever been."
NOW, IF YOU’RE A LARGER DISTRICT THEN THINGS CAN GET A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED. HERE’S WACO ISD SUPERINTENDENT DR. SUSAN KINCANON.
“We manage the challenge program, the JJAEP program for the county.
We have the regional day school for the deaf. We have partnerships with local school districts for GWAMA and GWAHCA. And, so it's a it's a bigger and much more complicated budget.”
WACO ISD IS IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING OUTDATED SCHOOLS, ALONG WITH A NEW TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. DR. KINCANNON SAYS THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND SAVINGS WITHOUT CUTTING PROGRAMS SO FAR.
“So we're we're good. We're good for this next school year in managing this. If we don't get some relief in this next legislative session, it won't be as good.”
IT’S HARD TO SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION BUT DODSON SAYS IT’S VERY LIKELY THAT VOUCHERS WILL RETURN AGAIN.
“Well, I think without question, I think the easiest part to look forward ahead to is, is based on what we know and what we've been told, from the governor. And his signaling is vouchers are going to come up. I mean, it's going to be an issue that we're going to have to talk about and have debate upon.”
DODSON HOPES THAT THE DEBATE CAN SHIFT BACK TO FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TEACHER RAISES INSTEAD.
FOR 103.3 WACO PUBLIC RADIO, I’M WILL BURNEY