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Today, the Senate will hear Senate Bill 8, their sweeping education bill, and the House will hear HB 1, their budget bill. Both bills require strong and immediate advocacy today.
House Bill 1:
HB 1 is the House budget bill. Currently, only a $50 increase in the Basic Allotment is allocated, which would provide SBISD only $2 million additional funds next year – with strings attached. THIS IS NOT SUFFICIENT AND IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
As noted in my message earlier this week, your immediate outreach is needed to the House Committee on Public Education and our legislative delegation to affirm Spring Branch ISD needs at least a $1,000 increase in the Basic Allotment.
Senate Bill 8:
As a reminder, SB 8 includes education savings accounts (ESAs) that divert public taxpayer funds to pay for private school education. This bill proposes using YOUR taxpayer dollars to fund private school education. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Austin heard your voices loud and proud on this bill several weeks ago. I’m asking for your immediate outreach to Senate Committee on Education and our legislative delegation again today to let them know we need a level playing field – same funding, accountability and transparency – as any school taking ESAs.
Here are our concerns:
- The bill proposes $8,000 per student for an education savings account (ESA). That’s about $2,000 more than the state provides for each of your students in the current basic allotment formula.
- The bill requires ZERO accountability or transparency for student achievement, state testing, unfunded mandates, use of funds or the like by private schools taking ESA funds.
- Private schools are not required to accept students with an ESA or ANY student. Public schools, like SBISD, serve ALL students.
- The bill will negatively impact SBISD as a RECAPTURE district – a 100-student reduction in SBISD would result in a loss of funds of about $1.5 million for the biennium.
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