2023 EDUCATION EDITION
BUDGET BINDS Ination in Texas has gone up by nearly 20% between April 2019-April 2023—the most recent data available. However, the per-student allotment, which sits at $6,160, has yet to be increased in that time.
“THE IMPACTS OF INFLATION HAVE REALLY TAKEN
“WE’RE SORT OF AT THE LEGISLATURE’S MERCY AT THIS POINT."
A TOLL." ZACK BOLES, TOMBALL ISD CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Estimated allotment with ination
Allotment per student
ERICH MORRIS, MAGNOLIA ISD ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF OPERATIONS
$7,313
$7,500
$6,969
$7,000
$6,437
$6,500
$6,160
$6,180
$6,000
$6,160*
$6,160
$6,160
$6,160
$6,160
“THE BASIC ALLOTMENT SHOULD BE INCREASED, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT EDUCATION AND HUMAN HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES CONSISTS OF 70% OF THE STATE’S BUDGET, SO IT’S HARD TO.” SAM HARLESS, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, R SPRING
$0
April 2019
April 2020
April 2021
April 2022
April 2023
NOTE: ALLOTMENT WITH INFLATION USED A CALCULATOR FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. *THE $6,160 ALLOTMENT WENT INTO EFFECT IN SEPTEMBER AND WAS REFLECTED ON BUDGETS FOR THE 201920 SCHOOL YEAR. SOURCES: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS COMMUNITY IMPACT
“It’s overdue ... and really needed to address the increased cost that all districts across the state have faced due to in ation,” Boles said. State Rep. Sam Harless, RSpring, said he’d like to see an increase in the basic allotment, but actually raising it could be di cult to achieve. “The basic allotment should be increased, but you [have] to remem- ber that education and human health and human resources consists of 70% of the state’s budget, so it’s hard to,” Harless said. TISD is also a fast-growth district, said Salazar-Zamora, who serves as board president for the Fast-Growth School Coalition. The coalition de nes fast-growth as at least 10% enrollment growth or an increase of 3,500 or more students in ve years.
private institutions more a ordable to families in Texas, Popinski said. For example, House Bill 100, authored by Rep. Ken King, RCa- nadian, would have raised the min- imum salaries for public school employees; boosted the amount of money schools receive from the state; and increased funding for cer- tain programs, such as bilingual and early education classes. “It was very disheartening to see that public education was not made a priority at all,” Salazar-Zamora said. Lawmakers are expected to discuss teacher pay raises, school funding and school choice—or using state funds to send students to private schools—during a third special ses- sion in October, Community Impact previously reported.
“There are additional needs that come with [being a fast-growth dis- trict], such as facility needs, and not just facilities, but materials and sta - ing concerns,” Salazar-Zamora said. Morris also said he’d like to see the Texas Legislature address teacher pay so MISD can adopt a new compensa- tion plan that would further address teacher pay, close pay gaps, and reward veteran teachers and MISD loyalty. “That’s our hope,” Morris said. “We’re sort of at their mercy at this point.” Looking at the Legislature During the regular 88th legislative session, many funding bills failed because of e orts to tie them to a pri- vate school voucher program as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s goal to make
“We just have to re le [HB 100] and get it passed again, plainly without a bunch of amendments,” Harless said. “So the increased funding will be there. I think there’s going to be some teacher pay raised in there also.” Salazar-Zamora said she believes it’s important people stay engaged and informed about school funding. “We want to re-engage everybody so that they remember that the suc- cess of a community very much goes in tandem with the success of a school district,” she said. Cassandra Jenkins, Emily Lincke, Peyton MacKenzie and Hannah Norton contributed to this report.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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TOMBALL MAGNOLIA EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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