In a surprising announcement on Tuesday March 24, 2015, House Public Education Chair Representative Jimmie Don Aycock stated the Texas House will tackle school finance system issues during the current 84th Legislative Session, prior to when the Texas Supreme Court will hear the State’s appeal of District Court Judge John Dietz’s school finance ruling. Rep. Aycock also stated the inequitable and antiquated provisions in the Texas Education Code will be overhauled through the end of the 84th Legislative Session.
We had to ask the fundamental question, ‘Do you do what’s right for the state of Texas and children of Texas, or do you try to play lawyer and out guess the courts?’ And we decided what was right for the state of Texas,” said Aycock.
In the news conference, Rep. Aycock also stated the currently version of the House budget contains $2.2 B of new money for public schools above enrollment growth to which another $800 million will be added, raising the total to about $3 billion in new money under the Foundation School Program (the main source of funding for public schools). House Appropriations Chair Rep. Otto stated the $800 million funding increase is fully available under proposed spending cuts.
Rep. Aycock stated big picture objectives for the remainder of the 84th Legislative session will include the following:
- Review and revise the inequitable antiquated state funding formulas
- Update the cost of education index (CEI) that is currently based upon 1989 values
- Improve the equitable distribution of funding between comparable school districts
- Help those districts headed to a funding cliff as the current phase out of additional state aid in tax rate reduction (ASATR) continues until September 1, 2017
- Lower the high levels of recapture of wealth per Texas Education Code Chapter 41 (Robin Hood) under which Austin ISD sends increasingly large sums of monies to the State
- Increase student transportation funding levels by upwards of 50%
- Raise the funding floor for districts that have relatively low state aid levels
- Increase funding levels for the majority of districts
Addressing all of these issues is a complicated task and will remain so through the end of 84th Legislative Session, stated Rep Aycock. An objective will be to have 95 to 96 percent of districts on formula funding as the House continues to process state aid "runs" for school districts. Rep. Aycock stated he believed “There is adequate funding to accomplish significant tax cuts and do what’s right for the children of Texas as the same time.” House Bill 1759 will repeal nearly all of the state funding mechanisms to address the inequitable and antiquated state funding formulas.
"Some districts will gain, some districts will gain more, some districts will lose. As we work through this process, we will try real hard to limit the loses," said Rep. Aycock. "I think this will take us to the most equitable place the state has been since we've had a funding formula."