Richardson ISD asked students, staff, parents and community members to contact their elected legislators to make them aware of their opinions on school funding.
For the past few months, the Texas legislature has been deliberating on two issues that involve public education: additional funding for schools and the creation of subsidies for private schools, also known as vouchers or education savings accounts.
Vouchers allow public funds (tax dollars) to be used for private school tuition. The governor called a session on Nov. 7 to discuss both these issues.
RISD partnered with Raise Your Hand Texas, who advocates for communities throughout the state to raise the voices of parents, students, teachers and members of the community who care about the future of education, according to their website. The partnership creates a way for residents to contact their legislators by using a provided link.
RISD’s board of trustees has expressed their need for additional funding for the past 12 months. The district has not received an increased amount in basic per-pupil funding since before the Coronavirus pandemic, they said. Additionally, the district says higher property tax bills due to an increase in property values financially benefits the state, not school districts.
