Pearland - Friendswood Edition | August 2023

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

VOLUME 9, ISSUE 9 AUG. 15SEPT. 12, 2023

EDUCATION EDITION 2023

CHANGING THE EXAM

Saloon Door West now open in Pearland

Hobby Airport expansion could start next year EDUCATION EDITION 2023 SPONSORED BY • YMCA of Greater Houston

Students at Rogers Middle School in Pearland ISD learn algebra. Texas Education Agency ocials said it redesigned the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, to align the test more tightly with the classroom experience.

COURTESY PEARLAND ISD

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness was conducted completely online in April and May after House Bill 3906— passed by the state Legislature in 2019—implemented a redesign of the standardized test. Online testing STAAR was administered online at the end of last school year. This provided more accommodations for students and expedited results, according to the Texas Education Agency. 15 types of test questions Along with multiple choice questions, 14 other question types—such as graphs, maps and ll-in-the-blanks—popped up on the new STAAR.

District data

More crossover between subjects Reading passage test questions reference

Evidence-based writing The essay portion of the reading and writing STAAR is now based on a reading passage instead of an independent writing prompt.

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT

topics students have learned about in other subjects.

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Local school districts react to the new STAAR redesign How the state assesses student readiness has changed for the rst time in ve years, but ocials with Pearland- and Alvin-area school dis- tricts aren’t fully sold that the process has improved. Texas Assessments of Academics Readiness, eective by the 2022-23 school year. Major changes included new question formats, cross-curric- ular questions and transitioning to online testing. BY RACHEL LELAND & EMILY LINCKE

support those students moving for- ward,” a Texas Education Agency spokesperson said. While educators were can- vassed to provide feedback on the test redesign, many said the rede- sign and new, upcoming account- ability scoring methodology create challenges for students and CONTINUED ON 24

“Assessments provide teachers and parents with helpful informa- tion to see how individual students are performing so they can better

In 2019, the 86th Texas Legisla- ture passed House Bill 3906, which initiated changes to the State of

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023

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THIS ISSUE

MARKET TEAM GENERAL MANAGER Papar Faircloth SENIOR EDITOR Jake Magee REPORTERS Rachel Leland, James T. Norman GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jesus Verastegui ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lindsay Raden METRO LEADERSHIP PUBLISHER Jason Culpepper MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Schafler COPY EDITOR Adrian Gandara SENIOR ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Kaitlin Schmidt CONTACT US 16300 Northwest Freeway Jersey Village, TX 77040 • 281-469-6181 CI CAREERS communityimpact.com/careers PRESS RELEASES plfnews@communityimpact.com ADVERTISING plfads@communityimpact.com Learn more at communityimpact.com/advertising EMAIL NEWSLETTERS communityimpact.com/newsletter SUPPORT US Join your neighbors by giving to the CI Patron program. Funds support our journalistic mission to provide trusted, local news in your community. Learn more at communityimpact.com/cipatron ABOUT US Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today. We have expanded to include hundreds of team members and have created our own software platform and printing facility. CI delivers 35+ localized editions across Texas to more than 2.5 million residential mailboxes.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH

FROM PAPAR: I’ve found that almost everyone had a favorite teacher growing up. Perhaps that teacher instilled a love of a subject that laid the foundation for your future career, or perhaps they were just present when you needed them most. Mrs. Turner, my second grade teacher, will forever be the teacher who taught me I can do hard things and later encouraged me to join the student council, starting a decadeslong love in me for serving my peers. This month, we bring you our annual Education Edition as we know a good education is something our readers place a high value on in our communities. Papar Faircloth, GENERAL MANAGER

FROM JAKE: The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, has changed. Starting during the 2022-23 school year, how the test was distributed and the weight it carries when it comes to evaluating a student’s learning, among other factors, differed. Read our front-page story to learn more about this topic, and be sure to check inside for more education-related stories, including the growing prevalence of vaping on local campuses. Jake Magee, SENIOR EDITOR

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023

IMPACTS

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

SHADOW CREEK PKWY.

PEARLAND

MCHARD RD. 8

MCHARD RD.

COUNTRYPLACE PKWY.

521

HUGHES RANCH RD.

W. BROAD WAY S T .

518

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BAYBROOK MALL DR.

AGNOLIA PKWY.

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MANVEL

NOW OPEN 1 Perk Dental at 10237 Bailey Road, Ste. 107, Manvel, opened its doors on July 24, office manager Stephanie Sanchez said. The building is a new buildout and has been on time minus a few setbacks. Staff hopes to spread dental awareness to the community and make people more cognizant of their dental needs. The business’ offerings includes cleanings, exams, wisdom teeth extractions, root canal therapy, teeth whitening and implants, ac- cording to its website. 832-930-7843. www.perkdental.com 2 The Cedar Chest of Pearland opened in May at 6063 Broadway St., Pearland. An indoor market with more than 40 vendors, the business offers a variety of products and artists selling their own goods, owner Trish Howard said in an email. The Cedar Chest of Pearland offers home decor, clothing, jewelry, and antique and modern prod- ucts, Howard said. The business is the

second one opened by Howard and her husband, Raymond Howard. Pearland Resale and Consignment, the couple’s first business, opened in 2019, Howard said. 713-291-5090 3 Paisley’s Closet , a luxury children’s boutique, opened in early April at 11200 Broadway St., Ste. 910, Pearland. Paisley’s Closet sells children’s dresses, swimsuits and accessories. 346-907-5174. www.shoppaisleyscloset.com 4 Cafe Petra , a Greek and Lebanese food restaurant, opened on April 7 at 8498 S. Sam Houston Parkway E., Ste. 700, Pearland. At Cafe Petra, which is able to accommodate private parties, guests can enjoy classic Mediterra- nean fare like lentil soup, hummus and falafel. Cafe Petra is currently hiring, according to its website. 281-974-1032. www.pearland.cafe-petra.com 5 Luxe Redux Bridal , 9415 Broadway St., Ste. 119, Pearland, celebrated its grand opening on July 27 from 6 to 9

p.m. Guests were able to meet the staff, enjoy bubbly and light bites, and shop for bridal dresses. 832-379-0972. www.luxereduxbridal.com/pages/ houston-bridal-shop 6 Renzo Gracie Pearland opened July 5 at 2000 Reflection Bay Drive, Ste. 164, Pearland. The martial arts acade- my offers jiu jitsu classes for adults and children and advanced-level, MMA and private training. Renzo Gracie Pearland Professor Joe Murphy is a first-degree black belt under professor Brian Marvin at Renzo Gracie Houston. 832-458-9839. www.renzograciepearland.com COMING SOON 7 Cafe Express will open at 144 El Do- rado Blvd., Ste. 201, Webster, site of the incoming Eastfield at Baybrook develop- ment near the H-E-B. An opening date has not been determined, but work on the 30,000-square-foot, multi-tenant retail center is underway. Cafe Express

serves soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood and dessert. The restaurant has three Houston locations and one in The Woodlands. www.cafe-express.com 8 Friendswood-based Chara Christian Dance Academy is opening a second lo- cation in January 2024 at 1570 Old Alvin Road, Pearland. More than a decade after opening in 2007, the business was look- ing to open a new spot in 2020, but plans fell through, founder Shanna Kirkpatrick said in a video on the academy’s website. The goal is for the new spot to provide more classrooms and training opportu- nities. The first location is at 101 Hunters Lane in Friendswood. 832-569-4065. www.charadance.com 9 Precisive Care Assisted Living , an assisted living facility offering 24-hour care for the elderly, is expected to open in mid-August at 2919 Manvel Road, Pearland. The facility is owned by Dr. Tayray Jasmine, who also operates another nearby assisted living facili- ty, Proverbial Care. Precisive Care will offer similar services but is designed for

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Cafe Petra

Luxe Redux Bridal

COURTESY CAFE PETRA

COURTESY LUXE REDUX BRIDAL

residents who are able to live more in- dependently. Precisive Care is currently accepting move-in deposits, and the first six residents to move in are eligible for a move-in fee discount. 713-817-2849. www.precisivecare.net 10 Great Harvest Bakery Cafe is getting set to open up a new location in late August or early September at 212 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood, and has almost everything lined up, owner Tim Neal said. One hiccup the cafe is dealing with is an install delay on one of its two ovens. The plan is to open up on a Friday either before or after Labor Day, which is Sept. 4, Neal said. The next steps will be to start a hiring cam- paign. The cafe has locations all over the United States, including one in Katy, according to its website. 832-513-5544. www.greatharvestfriendswood.com 11 El Caudillo Authentic Mexican Restaurant will open its doors in Pearland later this summer. Located at 3525 S. Main Street, Ste. 190, the restaurant will tentatively open its doors in August. 281-741-0633 RENOVATIONS 12 Dave & Buster’s is set to open Aug. 11, after press time, following reno- vations at 704 Baybrook Mall Drive, Friendswood. The renovations and new additions include interactive social bays, an immersive watch experience, a re- vamped menu and a beer wall with over 20 taps. The interactive social bays offer darts and shuffleboard. 281-709-0600. www.daveandbusters.com

Saloon Door West opened in June and will have its kitchen open by October.

COURTESY SALOON DOOR WEST

FEATURED IMPACT NOW OPEN With a grand opening expected in October, Saloon Door West held a soft opening for its new location on June 16 at 1231 Broadway St., Pearland, said Austin Webber, chief nancial ocer and president. The new location is the second one for Saloon Door Brewing, which also has a location in Webster. After the new location experienced the best single hour of retail sales in the company’s history, Webber said it was proof “the community welcomed us.” Looking ahead, the business will nish IN THE NEWS 14 After being closed for about two weeks, the Southdown Splash Pad at Pearland’s Southdown Park reopened on June 12 after a system malfunction, Pearland Director of Communications Joshua Lee said. Both the splash pad and park are located at 2150 Countryplace Parkway, Pearland, with the splash pad being open until Oct. 1. 281-412-8900. www.parks.pearlandtx.gov/home-parksrec

building out its kitchen, which should be ready in time for October, Webber said. 281-332-5800. www.saloondoorbrewing.com

Parkway Christian Academy

COURTESY PARKWAY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

Southdown Splash Pad

COURTESY CITY OF PEARLAND

NAME CHANGES 13 Eagle Heights Christian Academy, 3005 Pearland Parkway, Pearland, will change its name to Parkway Christian Academy in the fall as part of a larger name change move led by the school’s adjoining church, Parkway Church. Formerly known as First Baptist, the church is changing its name in addition to that of all its ministries. 281-485-6330. www.parkwaychristianacademy.com

CLOSINGS 15 Officials from discount retailer Tuesday Morning announced in May they would be closing the business, resulting in the closure of the location at 20740 Gulf Freeway, Webster. Tuesday Morning CEO Andrew Berger stated the company has “exceedingly burden- some debt” after filing for bankruptcy for the second time in three years. www.tuesdaymorning.com

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TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Smith Ranch Road project moves along

COMPILED BY RACHEL LELAND

ONGOING PROJECT

WIDENING ONGOING Smith Ranch Road is being widened from Hughes Ranch Road to Broadway Street.

RODEO PALMS BLVD.

CEDAR RAPIDS PKWY.

City of Pearland officials are working on a project that will provide citizens improved access to the Hwy. 288 toll lanes between Broadway Street and McHard Road. The project will also place the West Pearland Community Center on a major thoroughfare. The Smith Ranch Road widening project will upgrade the existing two-lane asphalt roadway from FM 518 to Hughes Ranch Road to a four-lane, divided, concrete curb-and-gutter roadway with an underground storm sewer system. In addition, the project will include constructing a continuous 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the west side of the roadway with a pedestrian ramp. Workers will add landscaping, irrigation and fiber-op- tic cables from Broadway to the Westside Event Center. The project will enhance overall safety in accordance with the city’s Major Thoroughfare Plan by con- verting narrow asphalt lanes with

roadside ditches into a concrete curb-and-gutter roadway with medians. Most of the money for the project is not local, city officials said. “The project is funded through the Transportation Improvement Program with [the] Houston-Galves- ton Area Council, so it’s about 80% funded with federal dollars,” City Manager Trent Epperson said. In fiscal year 2020-21, staff sub- mitted a request to U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, for legislatively appropriated funding, according to agenda documents. The request was approved, and the city’s proposed $2 million allocation for the completion of the Texas Department of Transpor- tation-funded widening of Smith Ranch Road will help meet the local share of that federally funded proj- ect, according to agenda documents. On June 26, Pearland City Council voted to amend a professional service contract with DEC, the contractor that has handled the

IOWA COLONY BLVD.

288

Timeline: completion in January 2025 Cost: $13.7 million

DAVENPORT PKWY.

DUBUQUE PKWY.

CR 60

288

Hwy. 288 projects The Texas Department of

518

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF AUG. 1. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT PLFNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Transportation is working on several projects on Hwy. 288 from Rodeo Palms Boulevard to CR 60 in Brazoria County, including building multiple bridges at Rodeo Palms, Iowa Colony Boulevard, Cedar Rapids Parkway, Davenport Parkway, Dubuque Parkway and CR 60. The project includes adding a southbound frontage road between Rodeo Palms and Hwy. 6. Timeline: completion in late 2025 Cost: $197 million Funding source: TxDOT

SOURCE: PEARLAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT

design work for the project. Council Member Rushi Patel voted against the motion and voiced that he felt the design fees were excessive. “I’m just taken by the numbers,” Patel said. The design work is about 90% complete and is expected to cost $13.7 million. The project should begin the bid phase by the end of September with construction expected to begin in early 2024.

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023

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DEVELOPMENT Pearland, Friendswood development overcoming challenges, obstacles

PEARLAND’S DEVELOPMENT To aid in its development, Pearland identied “catalyst sites,” which are areas of undeveloped and underdeveloped land.

City limits

Catalyst sites

PEARLAND PKWY.

BY RACHEL LELAND

they’re not paying property taxes.” Friendswood ocials hope to sustain the city’s budget by allocating 73% of the unused land for commer- cial development to collect more taxes. Ocials must be strategic about zoning and how it issues new develop- ment permits, Harbin said. “We are not getting any more land; we’re landlocked,” Harbin said. “We only have 1,900 acres left to develop, so that’s all we’re getting. We just have to be careful and make sure we keep our goals in mind.” While Pearland ocials hope the city will be completely built out by 2050, McDonald said COVID-19 and higher interest rates slowed develop- ment, partially due to the higher cost of building materials. In scal year 2019-20, the number of residential permits awarded dipped to 451 from

Pearland and Friendswood are nearly built out, and the cities must carefully plan how to develop the remaining land. In 2000, Pearland was a town of roughly 40,000. More than 20 years later in 2023, the city’s population has more than tripled in size to 132,000. What was once untouched farmland is now nearly 77% built out, yet the city still needs to develop its plan for how to develop the remaining unused land, Community Development Director John McDonald said. The city’s remaining land is a mixture of undeveloped land, or untouched land, and underdeveloped land, which is land that may have a small structure on it but is now surrounded by larger developments. Smaller cities such as nearby Friend- swood, which has a population of only 42,556, face dierent challenges,

521

MANVEL RD.

288

SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLANDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

FRIENDSWOOD’S DEVELOPMENT

Enhanced Safety & Security Technologies S.T.R.E.A.M Synergy Before & After School Program Athletics, Quiz Bowl, Clubs and more! forward in Pearland, including Massey Oaks and the D.R. Horton planned community being built near Pearland High School. “I think the goal is just to maintain McDonald added that the growth in nearby areas will also aect how Pearland pursues development. “You also have to look at the development around Pearland as well,” McDonald said. “You know, Manvel is starting to take o; Alvin is starting to grow; Iowa Colony is starting to grow. As those become more of a competition, that could potentially aect how things happen here.” McDonald said his team will present a comprehensive development plan to Pearland City Council later this year. The plan will include recommenda- tions for how the city should pursue developing the remainder of unused land over the next 20 years. McDonald shared that while a lot of the larger parcels of land have already been built out, there are many big residential projects moving

The city of Friendswood has only 1,900 acres of undeveloped land remaining.

City limits

Undeveloped land

817 and 658 in the previous two years. While the num- ber of new devel- opment permits diminished, the pandemic years also saw an increase in permits issued for home renovations. “We saw a lot of renovation permits for residential,” McDonald said. “People who maybe had been thinking

“I THINK THE GOAL IS JUST TO MAINTAIN A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY THAT GROWS, THAT SUPPORTS ITSELF AND GROWS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS CITIZENS.” JOHN MCDONALD, PEARLAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

518

such as being able to collect enough taxes to balance their budgets despite having aging communities,

528

Friendswood ocials said.

BAY AREA BLVD.

“Our population

is aging,” said Aubrey Harbin, Friendswood

SOURCE: CITY OF FRIENDSWOODCOMMUNITY IMPACT

a sustainable community that grows, that supports itself and grows to meet the needs of its citizens,” McDonald said.

director of community development and city planner. “When people reach 65, their property taxes get frozen, and

about moving out but then decided to upgrade their house or add extra features to it.”

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023

DEVELOPMENT

Hobby Airport expansion could start next year

will add baggage claim requirements, leading to a necessary expansion of the airport’s baggage claim hall, Szczesniak said. Szczesniak said increasing demand and population have led to the expansion. “We’ve got an attractive market, and then you’ve got an existing attractive airport,” he said, noting Hobby is the only ve-star airport in North America, as rated by Skytrax, an international airport-rating organization. Additionally, Hobby’s restaurants are undergoing change. In March, two new vendors won 10-year contracts with the city to open 20 new restaurants at the airport. The restaurants will replace Pappas Restaurants, which have been open at the airport for over 20 years. Pappas Restaurants, including Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Pappasito’s Cantina, Pappas Burgers and Pappas Bar-BQ, have already closed in preparation for the new restaurants, Szczesniak said. The new restaurants will begin opening this fall through late 2024. While some of the restaurants are

BY JAKE MAGEE

Changes are coming to William P. Hobby airport in southern Houston, and they’ll begin this year. Southwest Airlines, which already has a presence at Hobby, will begin a $450 million expansion as early as next year. The expansion will more than double the number of gates in the western concourse from ve to 12, said Jim Szczesniak, chief operating ocer for the Houston Airport System. Six of the new gates will be for Southwest ights, and the seventh will be for other airlines, he said. The expansion could allow guests to travel through Hobby to more destinations. Today, Hobby services 83 destinations, which is important to residents who live on the south side of Houston, Szczesniak said. Besides the gates, the expansion

An incoming expansion of the William P. Hobby Airport will expand the number of western concourse gates from five to 12.

RENDERINGS COURTESY HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM

chains, such as Chick-l-A and Dunkin’, many are local eateries, such as The Spot, Spindletap Brewery and Killen’s Barbeque, Szczesniak said. “You’ll have your mix of national brands, … but then you’re going to have that mix of local stu we’re going to have,” he said. Szczesniak said the investment happening in Houston right now is great. The Houston Airport System is responsible for 190,000 jobs and $36.4 billion in annual economic activity, he said.

The expansion will add seven new gates.

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CITY & COUNTY

News from Pearland, Friendswood & Harris County

QUOTE OF NOTE

Residents to potentially see flood insurance discounts PEARLAND Residents who live in areas affected by repetitive flooding could potentially see higher discounts on their flood insurance. BY RACHEL LELAND FLOOD HAZARD MAP The Clear Creek watershed includes Pearland and several other cities, and numerous tributaries that run through Pearland feed into Clear Creek.

HIGHLIGHTS HARRIS COUNTY Officials are moving forward with a policy that will consider property tax exemptions for affordable housing owners after Harris County commissioners voted unanimously on the measure July 18. Once completed, according to agenda documents, the policy could make it more financially feasible for certain organizations to add affordable housing units to the county’s housing stock. The incoming policy will have a fiscal impact on Harris County’s general funds that will vary each fiscal year based on determinations made by the budget office, according to agenda documents. Daniel Ramos, executive director of the office of management and budget, said his office is trying to get the application process running. KEVIN COLE, PEARLAND MAYOR ON ADOPTING FLOOD MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS “I WANT TO BE CAREFUL WITH THE BOND PROGRAM TO STATE THAT IT’S NOT GOING TO DO AWAY WITH EVERY SITUATION. BUT, IT’S GOING TO TAKE A BIG DENT INTO IT.”

Clear Creek watershed Clear Creek and tributaries

Pearland enters interlocal agreement for road paving The details: The CRS is a voluntary federal program that rewards com- munities for adopting and enforcing higher standards for development and public information than are required by the National Flood Insurance Pro- gram, according to agenda documents. Pearland has a CRS rating of 6, The setup: On July 24, Pearland City Council voted unanimously to adopt recommendations from a repetitive loss area analysis conducted by the city in 2022. The analysis is designed to increase mitigation opportunities for relatively flood-prone areas and provide credit to the city’s Community Rating System.

CLEAR CREEK

521

288

517

N SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT

which translates to a 20% discount for eligible flood insurance policyholders. By conducting the analysis and adopt- ing its recommendations, city officials hope to improve the city’s CRS rating to 5, which would make Pearland residents eligible for a 25% discount. County that would require the county to provide labor, traffic control and equipment to complete pavement restoration in areas identified by the city. The agreement requires the city to provide materials and supplies for the projects. According to agenda documents, the purpose of creating the new driving surfaces will be to eliminate rutting, which holds water and can lead to hydroplaning or loss of control for drivers, while continued maintenance or full-depth restoration ensures the sustainability of assets.

Quote of note: “The purpose for doing that is if we can improve our CRS rating, that will result in deeper dis- counts for flood insurance for Pearland residents that qualify,” City Manager Trent Epperson said. between Pearland and Brazoria County required the city to undertake base repair and pre-overlay work before the county’s team began their portions of the project. Once on site, Brazoria County staff handled all asphalt overlay and equipment operations, while city staff contributed their labor in tasks such as raking asphalt, traffic control and flag- ging, according to agenda documents. The agreement’s cost for materials is roughly $827,722. Next steps: On July 24, city officials discovered that, based on the county’s other projects, construction would not begin until September.

MEETINGS WE COVER

BY RACHEL LELAND

PEARLAND Various sections of Fite, Garden, Hawk, Hillhouse and Walnut streets totaling 4.14 miles will get repaved due to an interlocal agree- ment between the city of Pearland and Brazoria County. The gist: On July 24, Pearland City Council voted unanimously to enter an interlocal agreement with Brazoria

Pearland City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 for a regular meeting at 3519 Liberty Drive, Pearland. Meetings can be streamed on the city’s official YouTube page. Friendswood City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Sept. 11 at 910 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood. Meeting recordings are posted to the city’s YouTube channel.

In a nutshell: Previous interlocal agreements in 2020 and 2021

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023

2023 EDUCATION EDITION COMMUNITY IMPACT IS PROUD TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS.

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DISTRICT DATA

Data and information from local school districts

COMPILED BY JAMES T. NORMAN

PEARLAND ISD

FRIENDSWOOD ISD ALVIN ISD

SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, PEARLAND ISD, FRIENDSWOOD ISD, ALVIN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Pearland ISD’s enrollment has been stagnant in recent years, and the district has seen a net loss of teachers since the 2019-20 school year. However, starting salaries have gone up in that time.

With enrollment expected to decline compared to previous years, Friendswood ISD is facing the potential for lost revenue as a result. Ocials have tried to raise teacher salaries this year to be more competitive.

Alvin ISD is expected to have another year of welcoming more than 1,000 additional students, which would maintain a trend seen for the last few years. Salaries for the district have also risen steadily over that time.

STUDENT ENROLLMENT

TOTAL TEACHERS AND SALARIES

Total number of teachers*

Percent change from 2020-21:

-1.4%

+5.32% +3.89%

+0.44%

2,000

1,600

1.16%

1,200

800

+11.98%

400

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24*

*PROJECTED

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

*TOTAL IS THE FULLTIME EQUIVALENT AND MAY INCLUDE PARTTIME POSITIONS.

STUDENT STATISTICS, 202223

Starting teacher salary

Economically disadvantaged students 37.04%

English learners

Special education students

+6.43% +2.01%

+8.96%

$62,500

12.64% 11.58%

$60,000

11.78% 53.66%

3.02% 17.71%

14.42% 13.63%

$57,500

$55,000

Statewide

$52,500

62%

23.02%

12.74%

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

STUDENT RACE & ETHNICITY, 202223

Statewide

PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

EDUCATION

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, tightening school district budgets around the state.

School districts await budget help from special legislative session

Projected allotment with ination

Allotment per student

BY JAMES T. NORMAN

$7,313

$7,500

of their operations. Budget documents reviewed by Community Impact indicate some of those items aected by ination include: • Fuel for buses • Supplies for schools • Teacher pay • Property insurance • Food On the state side, many funding bills failed because of eorts to tie them to a private school voucher program as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s goal to make private institutions more aordable to families in Texas. The program lacked support from both sides, blocking many bills from passing that otherwise might have had the needed votes, Popinski said. Put into perspective While they wait for potential state action, school district ocials this summer are approving new budgets— some of which are still anticipating help from the state—and many are predicting shortfalls this upcoming 2023-24 year. Houston ISD, which is in the middle of a takeover from the state, approved a $2.2 billion budget June 22 with a $168.5 million shortfall, Community Impact previously reported. Up north, Dallas ISD is expecting a $157.4 million shortfall, according to the district’s proposed budget. The story rings much the same at Cy-Fair ISD—the state’s third-largest school district—which passed in June a $1.21 billion budget with a roughly $138.6 million shortfall, Community Impact previously reported. Many are also expecting shortfalls in the coming years too, according to sev- eral districts’ budgetary documents. “Let’s just hope and pray that Austin comes up with something that can help us out here,” Grapevine-Col- leyville ISD board member Tammy Nakamura said. “We don’t have anything at this point.” What they’re saying In recent months, school district ocials from across the state have not been shy about sharing their feelings on the state’s role in this year’s

School districts across Texas are facing budgetary issues and are waiting to see if help might be coming as the state gets closer to wrapping up this year’s legislative session. The state entered the 88th Legis- lature with nearly $33 billion in its reserves and a list of funding plans for public schooling. However, beyond a few small examples, larger funding bills have yet to materialize, said Bob Popinski, senior director of policy for Raise Your Hand Texas, a nonprot education advocacy group. “It was a session out of balance,” Popinski said. “It was absolutely sur- prising. ... All the recommendations ended up failing.” The overview Multiple school districts across the state are either proposing or approv- ing budget shortfalls for the 2023-24 school year. This is due to a number of economic factors, such as ination, which has driven up operating costs, as well as state and federal money tied to the COVID-19 pandemic drying up, Popinski said. On the other side of that issue is an ongoing national teacher shortage with budget issues making it more dicult to increase compensation and retain teachers. Nearly all proposals aimed at increasing school funding in the legislative session ended up on the cutting room oor, Popinski said. Among those included proposals to increase teacher pay and the per-student allotment funding given to school districts. The per-student allotment sits at $6,160 and has not been increased since House Bill 3 passed in 2019, Popinski said. The state would need to add roughly $1,000 this year to the allotment to match ination that’s happened since the last increase. How we got here Due to high rates of ination in recent years—totaling about 18.5% from April 2019-April 2023, according to the Texas comptroller’s oce—school districts have had trouble keeping up with rising costs

$6,969

$7,000

$6,437

$6,500

$6,160

$6,180

$6,000

$6,160*

$6,160

April 2019

April 2020

April 2021

April 2022

April 2023

WHAT OFFICIALS ARE SAYING School districts around the state are proposing shortfalls in their budgets this year and are pinning much of the blame on the lack of action from the state Legislature this session. 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 TEXASCOMMUNITY IMPACT

LEE MCLEOD, TOMBALL ISD BOARD PRESIDENT “[Our legislators] are betraying public ed, in my opinion. ... There are school districts that are absolutely broke. They have no money.”

“We’re funding education where it’s a race to the bottom ... and that’s not acceptable for this state.”

NANCY HUMPHREY, PLANO ISD BOARD PRESIDENT

“As everybody knows, the governor’s holding all of the money hostage just for vouchers. ... He’s not doing what’s best for the state of Texas or doing what’s best for public education.”

ERIC WRIGHT, HAYS ISD SUPERINTENDENT

budget-making process. Board Secretary Lynn Boswell at Austin ISD, which passed a $2.1 billion budget with a $52.25 million shortfall in June, said the state did not help in the district’s budget this year, prompt- ing ocials to make “painful choices that impact our students.” CFISD Superintendent Mark Henry said his district’s newest budget was the most dicult to prepare in his 32-year career. “It’s irresponsible and insidious what the state is doing to public education right now,” Henry said at the district’s June 20 meeting. Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, said in a July 6 emailed statement to Community Impact that more money will be available to districts when the state passes the school choice legislation, adding it’s an eort to “empower parents.”

“Gov. Abbott has prioritized public education funding and support for our hardworking teachers throughout his time in oce,” Mahaleris said in the statement. What happens next? Despite many school ocials’ comments throughout the state, there is still time for the state Legis- lature to pass something. The state is working through special sessions right now, which could include some school funding bills, Popinski said. In the meantime, with shortfalls and a growing need to increase teacher compensation, many districts will likely be dipping into their reserves to make ends meet, Popinski said. “School districts are in a pretty tough position going forward,” he said.

PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • AUGUST 2023

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