On Friday, during the Texas Tribune Festival public schools took the center stage. At one of the panels, Superintendents talked about the issues their districts were facing and what the future of public education around the state would look like.
The issues spanned from accountability to teacher retention, but the discussion always ended at the same place: “Fund Texas Schools.”
A recent KXAN analysis found that 65% of Central Texas school districts have adopted budgets with a deficit, ranging from $62,000 to $119 million. This trend extends beyond Central Texas, Houston ISD is grappling with a $211 million deficit, while Dallas ISD has confirmed a $187 million shortfall. Fort Worth ISD faces a $17 million gap, and El Paso ISD is contending with a $12 million shortfall.
These financial challenges are starting to have tangible effects across the districts, forcing difficult decisions such as cutting school programs or laying off administrative staff. Bobby Ott, Temple ISD Superintendent, who is grappling with these tough choices, emphasizes the impact on student life. “Have you ever heard a student say ‘I can’t wait to go to math class’?” Ott said. “It’s not the right direction but that is what we have to do.”
During the fourth special session, lawmakers had the chance to approve a bill that would have allocated approximately $6 billion to public schools. However, the bill failed to advance due to Governor Greg Abbott’s insistence on linking it to school voucher provisions.
Vouchers have become a contentious issue in the debate over public education. With the 89th Texas Legislature approaching and public education increasingly politicized, superintendents have shared their perspectives on the matter.
“It becomes a situation of again utilizing public schools to maybe be meeting the ends of someone else’s needs,” remarked Stephanie Elizalde, Dallas ISD Superintendent.
Ott, reflecting on his own experiences, noted, “I never considered school choice—at least not in Temple—options a threat, until it became the adversary of public education funding. If something is such a slam dunk, let it stand on its own. Make it its own bill.”
Ott also added the stark difference between choice and accessibility, noting a lot of the families in his district will not be able to have the accessibility to utilize vouchers.
