Despite the craziness in Austin following the defeat of the so-called Robin Hood plan to equalize school funding, one this is clear.
The majority of Texas voters aren’t happy with the way the legislature has handled the school equity situation.
Even though Proposition 1 was soundly defeated, our State leaders tried again, in the form of district consolidation, to force shared tax revenues. Perhaps they didn’t get the message the first time.
In the two days before Rep. Libby Linebarger’s consolidation bill was to go before the House for a vote, the telephone and fax lines were literally jammed with calls voicing opposition. Maybe they heard after all.
The leading contender to keep the schools open before the court-imposed deadline for closing them was Senate Bill 7, which takes tax revenue from wealthy district businesses and distributes it to low-wealth school districts.
However, let us not be too quick to readily accept this plan. While many are breathing a tremendous sigh of relief that consolidation is dead, now is not the time to stop calling and writing and visiting Austin.
Our legislators need to hear over and over again that what the school children of Texas need is for the State to put them first.
If the legislators are concerned about our school children, why is education last on the list of the four major state expenditures? Highways, prisons and social services all receive significantly more funding than education.
During 1992, the State approved a 34 percent increase in prison funding and a four percent increase for education.
If education was truly a priority, the money needed for social services and prisons should be less in the long run.
If the State is going to run public education, then the State should be responsible for putting up the money to make education in Texas among the finest in the country, instead of among the bottom 10.
But let’s not be fooled that only a State income tax will save Texas school children. I can just hear it now: “We must put our children first, and only through a State income tax can we do so.”
This is premature déjà vu. I vaguely remember hearing something about using lottery funds for education. Legislators, take note: Voters are tired of the State constantly passing the buck to property owners. The State needs to stand up to its commitment of quality public education.
Make education the State’s priority, or let the concerned parents and citizens of Texas run our public schools.
Hey, that’s an idea!
