Equity Center News Feed

Senator Shapiro Holds Press Conference About Public Education Funding

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Sen. Shapiro, Chair of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Public Education Funding, held a press conference today at 10:30 a.m. to make comments about the public education budget. CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO.

Panel to Hunt for Nontax Revenue - Senate effort seeks to ease budget impact on schools, health care.

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Hoping to cushion the impact of proposed state budget cuts to public education and health care, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Wednesday that a special subcommittee will be named Monday to find $5 billion in nontax revenue for use in the next two-year budget cycle.

Statement from F. Scott McCown on Governor Rejecting Use of Rainy Day Fund for 2012-13

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

“The House made a bad deal if it agreed to forgo Rainy Day Funds for 2012-13 to balance 2011. If that was the deal, the Senate needs to blow it up. Writing the 2012-13 budget with none of the remaining $6.2 billion in Rainy Day Funds would do too much damage to Texas. Leaving $6.2 billion in savings while making deep cuts to public education, higher education, and health and human services would be irresponsible.

A balanced approach to balancing the budget

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Maybe you've heard that our state is short of money because of the recession. Perhaps you think the state can just cut spending or that the problem doesn't affect you. Well, think again.

Representative Hochberg Files School Finance Bills

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Rep. Hochberg just announced in his press conference (press release), he has filed HJR 121, HB 2484 and HB 2485. (click on bill number for text) Here are some very preliminary notes based on the press conference. All three bills are based on $9.8 billion in cuts to public education. PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO. The Hochberg runs based on HB 2485 are available on his website at http://www.scotthochberg.com/files/hb2485.xls

Simplifying school finance not quite so simple

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

State lawmakers are trying to scrap an almost universally loathed school finance system that essentially locks school districts into 2005-06 funding levels. But the effort to make school finance simpler and more fair while spreading the pain of an $11 billion budget cut more equitably has a long way to go.

Group to Texas budget cutters: Spare education - Center says use reserves, increase fees

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Texas leaders have said no piece of the state's budget will be exempt from cuts as legislators write a budget around a massive shortfall, but one group thinks funding cuts to most school districts won't be necessary. "We are concerned that a growing number of well-intentioned people are too quick to accept a reduction in public education funding," leaders of the Austin-based organization Equity Center recently wrote to school district administrators.

Advocates: Dewhurst can come to the aid of South Texas schools

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst must resist putting his own political aspirations above the interests of students and schools, according to public education advocates in South Texas.

Using the Rainy Day Fund to Ensure our Recovery and Prosperity

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Texas faces a devastating revenue shortfall. We are about $18 billion short of being able to maintain spending at its current level and at least $27 billion short of being able to maintain services at their current level. A cuts-only approach to dealing with a shortfall this large would undermine our economic recovery and threaten our future prosperity. Instead, we need a balanced approach, one that includes using our Rainy Day Fund to minimize damaging cuts to critical public services such as education. As part of a balanced approach,the Rainy Day Fund can cover about a third of the shortfall. This paper explains how the fund works and why it should be used.

Texas, Budget Cuts and Children

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Will 2011 be the year of fiscal austerity? At the federal level, its still not clear: Republicans are demanding draconian spending cuts, but we dont yet know how far theyre willing to go in a showdown with President Obama. At the state and local level, however, theres no doubt about it: big spending cuts are coming. And who will bear the brunt of these cuts? Americas children. Consider, as a case in point, whats happening in Texas, which more and more seems to be where Americas political future happens first.

Commission to Analyze Equity in Educational Finance

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

The U.S. Secretary of Education, working closely with members of Congress, has established an Equity and Excellence Commission to consider how the federal government can increase educational opportunity by improving school funding. Department of Education website-minutes, documents & other information. The Equity and Excellence Commissions charge is to examine the impact of school finance on educational opportunity and make recommendations to increase equity and achievement. The commission will examine the disparities in meaningful educational opportunities that give rise to the achievement gap, with a focus on systems of finance, and recommend ways in which federal policies could address such disparities.

Duncan renews call for statewide school property tax

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

State Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, on Tuesday breathed some new life into a proposal to enact a statewide school property tax to address Texas persistent education funding woes.

Rural schools, communities suffer in the face of Texas' budget cuts - $10 billion proposed reduction in direct school aid could drive small, rural school districts out of business

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Lawmakers are considering a two-year budget proposal that does not cover $10 billion owed to school districts under current law, which would amount to a 14 percent reduction in total state and local education spending.The possibility of such a loss of state aid has superintendents across Texas fretting about school closures, layoffs and fewer programs for students.

Aid Cuts Have Texas Schools Scrambling

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

All across Texas, school superintendents are bracing for the largest cuts to public education since World War II, and the state is not alone. Schools across the country are in trouble as billions in emergency stimulus grants from the federal government have run out, and state and federal lawmakers have interpreted the victory of fiscal hawks in Novembers midterm elections to mean that tax increases are out of the question.

What is a fair share for public schools?

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

The budgets proposed by the Texas House and Senate show a $10 billion gap in funding for public schools, about double what Texas superintendents had originally anticipated. For us, it means considering the possibility of a $1 million plus drop in revenue for our $10 million budget for each of the next two years, if the cuts are made "across the board."

Officials Take Finance Concerns To Senator

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

The administrators, along with representatives from Region 12 Education Service Center and the Equity Center, met with Senator Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury. Dr. Buck Gilcrease, superintendent of schools in Hillsboro, said that the focus must remain on school finance in the coming months.

Superintendent Elected New President Of Equity Center

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Van ISD Superintendent Joddie Witte was recently elected president of the Equity Center, a statewide organization with some 700 member school districts.

CFISD official says he's not inclined now to cut homestead exemption

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

A Houston-area legislator has introduced a bill that would allow Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District to keep all the revenue generated if it chose to either roll back or eliminate its homestead exemption. Anything that tips the scales toward a school district and away from balancing inequities among all districts' funding under financing formulas is a problem for the Equity Center.

Speaker Straus Announces House Committee Assignments

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:00:00 CDT

Today, Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) announced the Texas House of Representatives committees for the 82nd Legislature.LIST OF HOUSE COMMITTEES He issued the following statement:“One of the most important roles of the Speaker of the House is making committee assignments. I have tried to apply the interests and expertise of individual Members to our States challenges, and to make sure the geographic and demographic diversity of Texas is fairly represented. Under the rules of the House, a number of committee assignments are based on Members seniority, and we also have a near-record 38 new freshmen representatives this year.