House Version of Funding Bill Would be Better for Fort Worth ISD
Fort Worth ISD stakeholders – students, parents and employees-- are being advised that the House version of a school funding bill is significantly better for the District than a Senate one.
“The days and the hours of the 81st Texas Legislature are ticking away – and the issue of school finance still hangs in the balance,” Superintendent Melody Johnson said on Tuesday.
Monday, June 1, 2009 is the 140th day of the legislature and the last day of 81st Regular Session. Lawmakers are working against this deadline as they try to reach an agreement on school funding and other issues.
“We are concerned that neither [the House or Senate versions of the] bill achieves full equity, nor do they solve our budget problems,” Dr. Johnson said. “However, the Fort Worth ISD stands to benefit more under the House version.”
For that reason, it would be better for the Fort Worth ISD if legislators were to reject the Senate version of the bill – and restore the language in the House version.
Under House Bill 3646, recently passed by the state House of Representatives, the Fort Worth ISD would have received an additional $22 million. Language in the bill would have required FWISD to spend half of that amount -- $11 million -- on salary increases for teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians and speech therapists. The other $11 million could then be applied to the District’s current deficit. The Fort Worth ISD would have benefited more from the House version because the FWISD is considered a low target revenue district, currently receiving less than the state average for other districts.
However, on Thursday the Senate Education Committee approved a substitute version of the House bill, (CSHB 3646), which reduced the amount of new money for FWISD by $9 million and lowered the amount allocated for pay raises.
The District continues to look at cost containment measures and has declared a financial exigency. In order to move forward in funding, the District needs: (1) the target revenue to be increased at least to the House minimum of $4,800 per student, and (2) a reasonable amount of flexibility to raise revenue without a general election.
The Senate may vote on this as early as Tuesday.
-FWISD-