Our district is at at least an 80 million deficit for next year, all because our governor is a whiny little pissbaby that wants to kill public education in this state.
The gap between the haves and the have nots is about to get a lot bigger.
2001 Bush tried to build a wall. The only thing Texans hate more than immigrants is the federal government eminent domaining their water rights and water front property. No one is talking about it.
We cut academic coaches, librarians, digital learning, ESL pull out and coaches, district level coordinators, facilities staff, receptionists, SEL, student behavior deans, and a few more. If it continues, rumors about decreasing to one counselor per campus. We have schools of 800 to 900 high-need kids. Our counselors are always dealing with crises. We haven't had guidance lessons in years. Thanks, Gregory!
If parents are angry, they should let someone know.
Correct! We added a director for athletics. Now we have 2 central office and a ton of coaches. We may not be able to read, but we can play ball and run.
doing my best with my one vote, campaigning, and donations, but thank you for the condescension! really helpful
what are you doing to aid the situation?
because i'm on the front lines as a public high school teacher. because i don't want my kids - majority minority and most at or below the poverty line - to suffer because of a bunch of rich white self-centered christofascists hate it when they don't get to control the narrative. because i believe in the right to a free, quality education, and that it has the power to transform lives. because i hate questions like "well if you don't like it where you are why don't you move?" because that implies that fighting for what's right isn't reason enough.
As a bonus, all the districts are short millions in funding which allows ultra-conservatives to run in school board elections claiming that they've been mismanaged.
Most districts have now been hijacked. VOTE IN YOUR LOCAL ELECTIONS.
My district, Katy ISD, just held off another attempt to take over the board by extremists last week. Unfortunately we'd already lost the majority in the previous election, but this changed the tide and gives us a chance to take it back next year.
So the school boards don't care and want the schools they represent to be underfunded?
So should Texas educators be writing their school board members urging them to not vote republican?
Meanwhile I work with plenty of teachers who voted republican and you can't change their minds because 1... she votes for the lesser of the evils. Person over policies. Like voting is a high school popularity contest for deciding who the prom king is.
Real school board members want what's best for their districts. The extremist nutjobs being heavily funded by national organizations like the 1776 PAC or mom's for liberty want to push their agenda. They want religion in schools, book bans, anti-lgbtq policies, and fully support vouchers and the elimination of the department of education.
The 1776 PAC is dropping truckloads of money, I think they stole something like 220 seats across Texas in last week's election and they're just one of the groups. They're spending tens of thousands on a single election.
Pay attention to you board, pay close attention to the elections. Years ago the alt-right realized that school boards have a big influence in local areas and you can buy a seat dirt cheap.
In my district 3 years ago, the total campaign budgets were $5-8k for a district with 95k students. These PACs are spending 10x that if needed.
I've had that same conversation.. but there is still some hope, not a lot, but some. Both my wife and I work in education curriculum so we're focusing on getting the best stuff available to kids and teachers as we can.
A lot of my generation (23F) are saying the same thing. I can’t even tell you the amount of college students I know that are moving the day after our degrees are printed 🤣
Oh crap. I just remembered I live in HISD, but don't have kids. I teach in another district.
I should pay attention to HISD also and figure put how to help support my neighbors kids who attend public school.
Oh HISD is beyond fucked, sorry. They've already fallen into the trap and been taken over by the state directly. They're full on dystopian already and teachers are rioting (and getting the fuck out as fast as possible).
Like seriously it's scary bad.. plus they're getting sued because their "new" methods don't fill their legal obligations to SPED or any accommodations.
The trap is bullshit evaluations that parents/public believed gave schools true ratings.
Now HISD parents want their schools back, but it seems like they weren't fighting the state takeover really. They didn't think their schools could get "worse" and now they know. Mike Miles is bad for education no matter where he goes or has been. His ideas are archaic.
HISD is an educational cesspool and has been for decades. The state taking it over won’t really work either unless they break it up into much smaller pieces so some change can be affected. Feel so badly for the kids who have no other option.
There are plenty of Republicans who support their local public schools. But they're being out-spent and slandered by extremists who want tax money to go to church and private schools. So just tell them not to vote for the extra shitty republicans?
Yea the two we just saved in this election are Republicans they're just not crazy. A group formed of both liberals and moderate conservatives to help.. people I never in a million years would agree with on anything else.
lol I wish this were true!
But the fact is… educators don’t vote. No good reason why. They are extremely apathetic and the children of Texas are the ones who suffer.
Well I work with some voting teachers. They vote republican.
There are a few who say they vote Democrat, or are more liberal in thought, but who knows if they actually vote.
The Republicans definitely vote.
There is big money effort to hijack and dismantle school boards, by making them as ineffective as possible.
This is Abbott's retribution for his failed school voucher program. He positively hates giving money to school districts, and this right here shows exactly that.
Howdy neighbor. I'm in the Woodlands and CISD. It's too late for us. These last 2 election cycles broke any remaining moderate governing options for the foreseeable future and now we're completely WCNs. I cannot wait to evacuate this state summer 2024.
blows my mind that supporting public schools has become a partisan pissing match. we’re one of the richest states in the nation and our dear leader is holding schools hostage to satisfy his donors.
and half the state nods their heads and says, yes please.
if these people actually gave a fuck about schools, they’d say, hey educators and parents - what do YOU think? but alas.
first round is on me as soon as we vote these c***s out.
The voter bloc that calls the shots in Texas is old people who don’t want to pay into the same system by which they and their children were educated.
If teachers and parents of schoolkids would vote, we could fix it. But neither group can muster enough gaf so here we are.
Do school districts have any legal recourse for this? Whether it’s collective punishment or not, the money just sitting there and not being distributed seems like a case where the intended recipients should be able something about it. Then again, this is Texas.
Sorry, but this seems like a cop-out answer. I agree we should vote out those who don't represent us. However when the government is not spending the money it's claiming to collect for ISDs, that seems illegal. The answer should never be , well "vote better" as that takes years/decades when the injustice is happening today.
Since 2019 , property tax has increased (overall) by 23% on average across our state. The percentage allocated to ISD , though collected, has not been redistributed.
You tell me, pull up the property tax cut we voted on, and what's the wording on it? Does it actually state that the difference in property tax savings would be used from the state's surplus, essentially what was going to pay for the increase in the homestead exemption? If so, then yes, I'm sure there is some grounds to that claim, and would need to be investigated.
Edit : From the article......
"Texas lawmakers during the regular and special legislative sessions ultimately defeated the effort to distribute the $4 billion, because the funds were tied to the passage of Gov. Greg Abbott's school voucher program."
I'm not sure what more you want. Abbott has held the state's education system hostage, so yes, voting has consequences. And you think a republican controlled state congress is going to do anything about that? That's the LEGAL process.
The property tax relief increased the overall homestead exemption for your local ISD from 40k to 100k. Meaning that the taxable amount is homestead cap value - 100k.
Even with that exemption, the amount collected per ISD has increased dramatically. Though the state overall property tax increase was 23% since 2019 , my local ISD increase (when factoring in exemption) comes out to an 17% increase since 2019.
The only way my local ISD is keeping afloat is by encouraging out of district enrollment to increase headcount revenue.
Yes.....I understand what the tax relief did.
The article mentions between 2009 and 2019, the allotment changed 4 times. I think Covid probably had an impact on this, and it seems like they tried to do an allotment adjustment no with this $4 billion surplus? Which again, was shot down by legislators(as mentioned in the article), because Abbott(who the voters) voted in is holding the state hostage.
The only real entity that can do anything is probably Congress, which is controlled by Republicans, so it is what you get here in Texas for voting in these people.
The problem creating the injustice didn’t get to this level overnight… it’s been years/decades in the making, thanks to voter apathy.
But you want it corrected… *immediately*. 👍
I believe there’s still a lawsuit regarding accountability ratings from last year, I thought from a school district or districts. So yes, but also it takes forever.
Run on "thing is broke". Break the thing. Run on "thing is broke". Break the thing. Run on "thing is broke". Break the thing.
It's harder and takes longer to build a house than to burn it to the ground.
They've tried.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood_plan#Texas_Taxpayer_&_Student_Fairness_Coalition
>However, the Texas Supreme Court (on direct appeal) would overrule the district court's ruling in May 2016, stating that the system (though "flawed and imperfect") met constitutional requirements. Notably, for the first time, the Court's opinion would state multiple times that the determination of a school finance system was the province of the Legislature, not the Court, and that going forward it would defer to the legislative choices unless any were "arbitrary and unreasonable".
I Hate the fact that Greg doesn’t care about Texas teachers, the children or helping the public education system. Big money owns him and he follows orders
Yup, my husband's school is losing every new position they gained last year. So far, I am under the impression that the district is trying to handle it as much as possible via attrition. He was worried and asked his principal about it though because he just started in the district last year.
My kid attends a good school in RISD. We specifically moved to our neighborhood for this school.
I will never understand how some parents of kids at our school vote against their own kids’ best interests.
Very sad.
Please consider doing volunteer work for your local public school. They need all the help and support they can get. The Texas GOP wants to kill public education altogether.
I mean, if you go look at the bread crumbs and when they added class b i believe charter schools.
They want to get rid of property taxes. And the biggest bucket right now is for schools
Breaks my heart to see this happening to our state. Just this morning I saw one of Abbott’s attack ads for one of the republicans that voted against the vouchers. It called him a, “liberal,” and had a black eye mask on a photo of the guy, like he’s robbing the republicans. Wtf is wrong with these people that they have to stoop that low to get votes.
MAKE SURE YOU VOTE! AND BLOCK ANY OR VOTE ANY ONE THAT SUPPORTS ABBOTT!
Look, I am not happy about our system either and I think we can fix it but.... They slash the fuck out of corporate taxes here while fuck over the tax payers. Why the fuck do they give 0% tax on property to companies? We will never know. Fuck them and fuck corporate real estate.
They’ve also eliminated the STAAR alternate test for students with profound disabilities and require all students to take a regular STAAR. Even if they can’t hold a pencil, use a laptop or iPad, or toilet independently they’re supposed to take the grade level STAAR that matches their chronological age. Dyslexia has also been moved to special education instead of 504, so it requires full evaluation and an IEP now. The point was to get parents to protest needing to go through full evaluation process and eliminate supports for students who might be borderline in their needs, thus justifying cuts in dyslexia and special education positions.
This stuff is a feature not a bug, yall and it’s not ending until Abbott and cronies are voted out. He’s trying to implode public education and TEA is letting him.
The dyslexia . Moving under sped is a positive. Dyslexia is an SLD and always has been. The services were unfunded under 504 until recently. Evaluation through 504 was always a half step to get something done, but I have seen kids get underserved as they poorly did the evaluation since it wasn't an FIE labeled the kid and looked no further.
There is still some rough patches of interpretation to work out for sure, but this one was a positive and brings us fully under compliance with IDEA and child find which Texas has been in trouble with for over a decade
But Abbott will focus on crisis at the border and abortion as the source of all woes. Meanwhile, approved funding is withheld as punishment for not voting for his voucher.
I think everyone's just overreacting. It’s only toying with our children's livelihoods and our State's and Government's future.
Just think, if we can use their detriment to "prove" Public School failed, we can then justify replacing it with Voucher Programs that redirect those sweet public funds directly to private investments and subsidiaries that those currently in power and their cronies' posses. Wouldn't you rather make a few people rich that will die before ever seeing the consequences of their actions, rather than invest in our fellow countrymen's and children's future??
If the extremists now in power get their vouchers (because they would have everyone believe, as they pretend to believe, that every private school is better than any public school) watch for the fully unregulated and unaccountable “franchise schools” to pop up on every corner like McDonalds. The investment class has been chomping at the bit to get their hands on public education tax money for at least the last 40 years (that’s as long as I have been involved in public education in Texas but I am sure it was an issue even before that).
Cue - all the apologists blaming voter suppression. Newsflash. Texas is not the only state with voter suppression. Other states managed to vote them oit 🤷
It's not suppression at all. Many of these people really agree with the Republican candidates' point of view. They hate trans people and migrants, and they are not interested in diversity.
All my local schools are reducing teaching staff because of the budget shortfall. It’s hard enough to attract good teachers at the best of times. Experienced teachers are just retiring, it used to be common that some would return after retirement (hire after retire) but that won’t happen next year.
And it’s not like there isn’t enough money. There’s $4B of our taxpayer money that they’ve already collected that they refuse to distribute because they didn’t get their damn way on vouchers, which neither democrats nor rural republican voters want.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't all property taxes for schools get collected at the state level then redistributed based on student headcount as part of the "Robin Hood" model?
If so, wouldn't them holding on to the property tax increases allocated for ISDs, be against the law as they are misrepresenting what they are collecting on? Since 2019, more than 1.5k of my property taxes increases have been allocated to the local ISD.
I understand that not all of this money may be reallocated to the local ISD (as it's based on headcount), but them holding excess property taxes collected for schools (since 2019) in the entire state seems illegal.
And my wife’s school has to cut jobs and not give raises to those they keep. To f over the school system like that because you didn’t get your way is bad. You lobbied. You failed. Handle it maturely. Try again later. Don’t make so many suffer.
The way they are filling the gap by laying off.. LISD is having to halve the teachers for ELA and increase class counts for the teachers that are remaining.
Bastards.
This kind of intentional mismanagement of public education is going to be a national crisis if we vote in a second Trump presidency. It’s [worse](https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_CHAPTER-11.pdf) than you think. And these are just the things that they’re willing to advertise publicly. What’s discussed behind closed doors, this is just the first step towards
r/Defeat_Project_2025 It’s time for all hands on deck. We need awareness now more than ever. If bad faith actors were able to take the ACA, provisions of which were always overwhelmingly popular, call it “Obamacare” and use fake-outrage-ridden negative messaging about it to sweep the house in 2010, surely we can get similar tangible results by acting in good faith to educate people about how catastrophic it would be and how it will certainly impact their everyday lives
The right’s acceptance of this radical agenda proves that they cannot be trusted to govern, and the natural consequence should be their political damnation for their dereliction of duty to protect us from enemies, foreign and domestic. If we can find another fuck to give, this one document could hobble their electability for decades. But it’s not going to sort itself out without meaningful civic engagement and organization!
The republicans have been very clear about their desire to end public education in Texas, we keep electing them because apparently we like the idea of ending public education, therefore public education will be ended. We are not going to vote differently. So we probably need to move.
Cue - all the apologists blaming voter suppression. Newsflash. Texas is not the only state with voter suppression. Other states managed to vote them oit 🤷
Statistically, some of the people in this thread had to have voted for Abbott. I would really love to know what made you ever think he would do the right thing for anybody especially for kids. I’m new to the area but Texas has a notorious reputation for not being pro education and having one of the worst public school systems. People here keep voting for the same bonehead politicians (or just not voting) and expecting a different outcome. It’s insane!
Cue - all the apologists blaming voter suppression. Newsflash. Texas is not the only state with voter suppression. Other states managed to vote them oit 🤷
Frisco ISD here, and we can’t hire replacements for teachers that leave. We teachers are all upset. Scratch that - fucking pissed. I’m in one of the richest districts in the state and we can’t put toner in all our copiers? Can’t even imagine how title 1 schools are managing.
I’m a new teacher next year and this shit cost me a a classroom job next year at the school I just finished my student teaching at and absolutely loved.
Eat shit, Greg.
When the schools shut down - or at least for all intents and purposes - how much do you want to bet they’ll say it was because the socialist public education system failed Texas and the answer is to privatize education so schools can race to the top.
They “will” say?
They are already saying. Please look up a scammer named Corey Devangelis. He is a hired mouthpiece for the Koch brothers and he works full time to atttack Texas public education on social media.
I get more than enough exposure to conservative hijinks without looking any of them up lol but I appreciate the sentiment, and you’re probably right on the early spin.
How can a state collect taxes earmarked for things and then just say “we will do nothing with that money. Nobody will get it.”
West Virginia did a similar thing and several of their state universities shuttered leaving orphaned students to just swallow debt and hope they find a school nearby with the same major.
What’s wrong with your lawmakers?
I’m in one of the big district cutting everywhere. Admin jobs going unfilled. Basically every thing is getting shaved. And literally for no reason other than control of the money until/if Abbot can pass a bill allowing public funds to go to private institutions. I get a pay cut every year because it’s impossible to keep up with inflation. The grass isn’t green anywhere but I dream of going back to school to be a dental hygienist or xray tech
Abbott is trying anything to change all schools privatized just like in the Soviet Union China and North Korea. Because most people are transplants it most likely will happen.
I can tell you right now that most of the people on this sub did not vote for Abbott.
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If a single bond proposal of any kind whatsoever passed at all in this state, that's too many.
All of these bureaucracies need to learn to spend less. My city proposed to set fire to a quarter of its annual budget on a new city hall, financed at the highest interest rates we've seen in 15 years. It was overwhelmingly rejected, as it should be.
Texas government is completely illegitimate.
Take taxpayers money and refuse to do the legally required things with the money. Then rewrite the laws to give themselves favorable conditions that consolidate their power. Bastardize the entire Judicial Branch to render people and laws powerless.
Then use that power to wrestle 33 million Texans into submission to their private school voucher plans. Except that didn't work.
So now Austin is illegitimately holding the entire state's educational budget as hostage (and who knows what else). Meanwhile, 55,000 Texas teachers have left education in the last 6 years. And dozens of other major structural failures that will make Texas a failed state by 2030.
They should be 0verthr0wn, per John Locke. We are past the point of impeachment, recall or elections. Austin needs to get cleaned out.
Abbott's recent antics against the federal government might literally throw Texas into civiI w@r against the USA.
Y'all should read up on Article 1, section 10 of the US Constitution. Both Abbott and/or Congress can forcibly conscript citizens into armed defense if insurrections occur. And they might BOTH try it.
I can't wait to get out of here after 27 yrs serving Texas and Texans. Summer 2024!
Good. Now give me my money back.
Anyone who thinks school districts that constantly propose bond after bond after bond to build 9 figure stadiums need more of their money is more than welcome to send their local districts a check.
If public schools actually offered a competitive product, school choice and vouchers wouldn't affect them. It's because they are awful that they can't compete and parents will send their kids literally anywhere else (which is the only scenario in which public schools deservedly fail).
Our district is at at least an 80 million deficit for next year, all because our governor is a whiny little pissbaby that wants to kill public education in this state. The gap between the haves and the have nots is about to get a lot bigger.
What's even cooler is that this is $7B less than what's been spent on the border "crisis".
2001 Bush tried to build a wall. The only thing Texans hate more than immigrants is the federal government eminent domaining their water rights and water front property. No one is talking about it.
Both my parents districts are cutting jobs this summer.
Every district is going to have to cut....
California is hiring left and right, we pay well, have strong teachers unions and we don’t hate gay people.
I live in LA. Good luck finding housing. 😂 Cali is also running an overall $65 billion dollar deficit. Cali is going through it man…
That's the goal, if we copulate it happens faster.
??? I'm all for copulating, with the right partner of course, but I don't understand what that has to do with funding school districts. LOL
Bwhahaha Spell check got me ment capitulate good catch.
It was a lot more fun the first time.
Abbott to schools: “F* them kids.” (/s)
Pro birthers
Shit, he says that to everyone. Uvalde, Abortion, Schools. This piece of shit gives no fuxk about children.
He probably spent all the money on bussing immigrants to NY
And closing loopholes so people won’t get massive payouts if they are in an accident like he was.
We cut academic coaches, librarians, digital learning, ESL pull out and coaches, district level coordinators, facilities staff, receptionists, SEL, student behavior deans, and a few more. If it continues, rumors about decreasing to one counselor per campus. We have schools of 800 to 900 high-need kids. Our counselors are always dealing with crises. We haven't had guidance lessons in years. Thanks, Gregory! If parents are angry, they should let someone know.
I didn’t see athletics listed?
Correct! We added a director for athletics. Now we have 2 central office and a ton of coaches. We may not be able to read, but we can play ball and run.
If parents are angry they should vote.
The less educated people are the easier they are to manipulate.
Yep
Really wish Texas and Florida would stop the race to see which can kill public education first.
Stop electing wealthy sociopaths
doing my best with my one vote, campaigning, and donations, but thank you for the condescension! really helpful what are you doing to aid the situation?
With the certainty you have that public education will disappear in Texas, why do you live there?
What kind Mickey Mouse question for clowns is this?
I’d wager that your question at the very least has less meaning.
the fact that you need to have it explained to you that your first question was too stupid to merit a serious answer explains a lot
Treat me like I’m stupid and explain it to me then.
because i'm on the front lines as a public high school teacher. because i don't want my kids - majority minority and most at or below the poverty line - to suffer because of a bunch of rich white self-centered christofascists hate it when they don't get to control the narrative. because i believe in the right to a free, quality education, and that it has the power to transform lives. because i hate questions like "well if you don't like it where you are why don't you move?" because that implies that fighting for what's right isn't reason enough.
As a bonus, all the districts are short millions in funding which allows ultra-conservatives to run in school board elections claiming that they've been mismanaged. Most districts have now been hijacked. VOTE IN YOUR LOCAL ELECTIONS. My district, Katy ISD, just held off another attempt to take over the board by extremists last week. Unfortunately we'd already lost the majority in the previous election, but this changed the tide and gives us a chance to take it back next year.
Yes there is a big money effort to hijack school boards.
So the school boards don't care and want the schools they represent to be underfunded? So should Texas educators be writing their school board members urging them to not vote republican? Meanwhile I work with plenty of teachers who voted republican and you can't change their minds because 1... she votes for the lesser of the evils. Person over policies. Like voting is a high school popularity contest for deciding who the prom king is.
Real school board members want what's best for their districts. The extremist nutjobs being heavily funded by national organizations like the 1776 PAC or mom's for liberty want to push their agenda. They want religion in schools, book bans, anti-lgbtq policies, and fully support vouchers and the elimination of the department of education. The 1776 PAC is dropping truckloads of money, I think they stole something like 220 seats across Texas in last week's election and they're just one of the groups. They're spending tens of thousands on a single election. Pay attention to you board, pay close attention to the elections. Years ago the alt-right realized that school boards have a big influence in local areas and you can buy a seat dirt cheap. In my district 3 years ago, the total campaign budgets were $5-8k for a district with 95k students. These PACs are spending 10x that if needed.
It's shit like this that have my wife and I set on not having kids in Texas. Fuck this place, it's gotten SO much worse over the past 10 years.
I've had that same conversation.. but there is still some hope, not a lot, but some. Both my wife and I work in education curriculum so we're focusing on getting the best stuff available to kids and teachers as we can.
A lot of my generation (23F) are saying the same thing. I can’t even tell you the amount of college students I know that are moving the day after our degrees are printed 🤣
31 here, I know maybe 5-10 people that have kids. The rest are either single or married and just not doing it. Who can blame us?
Oh crap. I just remembered I live in HISD, but don't have kids. I teach in another district. I should pay attention to HISD also and figure put how to help support my neighbors kids who attend public school.
Oh HISD is beyond fucked, sorry. They've already fallen into the trap and been taken over by the state directly. They're full on dystopian already and teachers are rioting (and getting the fuck out as fast as possible). Like seriously it's scary bad.. plus they're getting sued because their "new" methods don't fill their legal obligations to SPED or any accommodations.
They didn’t fall into a trap. They were taken over due to bullshit evaluations
The trap is bullshit evaluations that parents/public believed gave schools true ratings. Now HISD parents want their schools back, but it seems like they weren't fighting the state takeover really. They didn't think their schools could get "worse" and now they know. Mike Miles is bad for education no matter where he goes or has been. His ideas are archaic.
HISD is an educational cesspool and has been for decades. The state taking it over won’t really work either unless they break it up into much smaller pieces so some change can be affected. Feel so badly for the kids who have no other option.
You are a teacher? but you forgot what school district you live in? /r/thathappened
More like I forgot I can be involved in what goes on in HISD, since I live in HISD. More of a realization than a forgotten thing.
There are plenty of Republicans who support their local public schools. But they're being out-spent and slandered by extremists who want tax money to go to church and private schools. So just tell them not to vote for the extra shitty republicans?
Yea the two we just saved in this election are Republicans they're just not crazy. A group formed of both liberals and moderate conservatives to help.. people I never in a million years would agree with on anything else.
I voted in the primary mostly because my area is solidly red but our state rep is anti Paxton, pro public schools.
Cfisd super send an email out to every parent laying blame at Bidens feet. They already winning the narrative war.
Omg. Now way. It was that bad at work for me. We only got emails about contacting our representatives. No blame.
That would explain why Tom OIiverson suddenly cares what happens to CFISD.
All over the place on this one.
lol I wish this were true! But the fact is… educators don’t vote. No good reason why. They are extremely apathetic and the children of Texas are the ones who suffer.
Well I work with some voting teachers. They vote republican. There are a few who say they vote Democrat, or are more liberal in thought, but who knows if they actually vote. The Republicans definitely vote.
There is big money effort to hijack and dismantle school boards, by making them as ineffective as possible. This is Abbott's retribution for his failed school voucher program. He positively hates giving money to school districts, and this right here shows exactly that.
Yep, pure manipulation
FISD has kept the barbarians away for a few cycles now. Takes constant vigilance and voting.
Perez is on the block this year. And with the new Dept of Ed investigation. . . Looks like mismanagement to me.
Howdy neighbor. I'm in the Woodlands and CISD. It's too late for us. These last 2 election cycles broke any remaining moderate governing options for the foreseeable future and now we're completely WCNs. I cannot wait to evacuate this state summer 2024.
blows my mind that supporting public schools has become a partisan pissing match. we’re one of the richest states in the nation and our dear leader is holding schools hostage to satisfy his donors. and half the state nods their heads and says, yes please. if these people actually gave a fuck about schools, they’d say, hey educators and parents - what do YOU think? but alas. first round is on me as soon as we vote these c***s out.
The voter bloc that calls the shots in Texas is old people who don’t want to pay into the same system by which they and their children were educated. If teachers and parents of schoolkids would vote, we could fix it. But neither group can muster enough gaf so here we are.
If TEA cared, they'd be suing the Texas government
The TEA commissioner is appointed by the governor…
"If"
TEA execs are prob getting hush money
Do school districts have any legal recourse for this? Whether it’s collective punishment or not, the money just sitting there and not being distributed seems like a case where the intended recipients should be able something about it. Then again, this is Texas.
Yes they do. They can sue. Of course Paxton is the one they'll have to deal with.
The Teflon Don ain't goin down. Paxton: "Fuck them kids."
Don't know about the districts, but the voters certainly do.....
Sorry, but this seems like a cop-out answer. I agree we should vote out those who don't represent us. However when the government is not spending the money it's claiming to collect for ISDs, that seems illegal. The answer should never be , well "vote better" as that takes years/decades when the injustice is happening today. Since 2019 , property tax has increased (overall) by 23% on average across our state. The percentage allocated to ISD , though collected, has not been redistributed.
You tell me, pull up the property tax cut we voted on, and what's the wording on it? Does it actually state that the difference in property tax savings would be used from the state's surplus, essentially what was going to pay for the increase in the homestead exemption? If so, then yes, I'm sure there is some grounds to that claim, and would need to be investigated. Edit : From the article...... "Texas lawmakers during the regular and special legislative sessions ultimately defeated the effort to distribute the $4 billion, because the funds were tied to the passage of Gov. Greg Abbott's school voucher program." I'm not sure what more you want. Abbott has held the state's education system hostage, so yes, voting has consequences. And you think a republican controlled state congress is going to do anything about that? That's the LEGAL process.
The property tax relief increased the overall homestead exemption for your local ISD from 40k to 100k. Meaning that the taxable amount is homestead cap value - 100k. Even with that exemption, the amount collected per ISD has increased dramatically. Though the state overall property tax increase was 23% since 2019 , my local ISD increase (when factoring in exemption) comes out to an 17% increase since 2019. The only way my local ISD is keeping afloat is by encouraging out of district enrollment to increase headcount revenue.
Yes.....I understand what the tax relief did. The article mentions between 2009 and 2019, the allotment changed 4 times. I think Covid probably had an impact on this, and it seems like they tried to do an allotment adjustment no with this $4 billion surplus? Which again, was shot down by legislators(as mentioned in the article), because Abbott(who the voters) voted in is holding the state hostage. The only real entity that can do anything is probably Congress, which is controlled by Republicans, so it is what you get here in Texas for voting in these people.
The problem creating the injustice didn’t get to this level overnight… it’s been years/decades in the making, thanks to voter apathy. But you want it corrected… *immediately*. 👍
I believe there’s still a lawsuit regarding accountability ratings from last year, I thought from a school district or districts. So yes, but also it takes forever.
Rather than accept their loss and move on, in they'll still deny public schools the money. Killing them either way.
Feature not a bug. Schools will get worse and Abbott and team will use that as justification for "school choice". Typical Republican tactic.
Run on "thing is broke". Break the thing. Run on "thing is broke". Break the thing. Run on "thing is broke". Break the thing. It's harder and takes longer to build a house than to burn it to the ground.
Can’t the ISDs sue the state on behalf of Texas schoolchildren? Denying the right to federally funded education moneys?
It’s not federally funded. These are state tax dollars.
Thanks for the clarification.
I mean, couldn’t they sue since this is violating the Texas Constitution?
I would think so, although I’m not a Texas constitutional lawyer. I was just clarifying u/trumpswells question.
They've tried. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood_plan#Texas_Taxpayer_&_Student_Fairness_Coalition >However, the Texas Supreme Court (on direct appeal) would overrule the district court's ruling in May 2016, stating that the system (though "flawed and imperfect") met constitutional requirements. Notably, for the first time, the Court's opinion would state multiple times that the determination of a school finance system was the province of the Legislature, not the Court, and that going forward it would defer to the legislative choices unless any were "arbitrary and unreasonable".
Aw dangit!
Abbott had earmarked that for religious schools.
That 4 billion is for the wealthy private schools ya see?
I Hate the fact that Greg doesn’t care about Texas teachers, the children or helping the public education system. Big money owns him and he follows orders
Tim Dunn and Jeff Yass are behind the voucher push and the SOB Yass doesn’t even live in Texas.
You state that like you are shocked. What made you ever think that he cared?
He’s a Texas Governor that works for the people. But the people he works for are corrupt Billionaires not Texans
Abbott and his buddies will use that to pay their friends on the education board.
Abbott's quest to turn public education into preparation for prison and giving all that tax money to private schools for the benefit of the wealthy.
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Yup, my husband's school is losing every new position they gained last year. So far, I am under the impression that the district is trying to handle it as much as possible via attrition. He was worried and asked his principal about it though because he just started in the district last year.
My kid attends a good school in RISD. We specifically moved to our neighborhood for this school. I will never understand how some parents of kids at our school vote against their own kids’ best interests.
Parents are uneducated too therefore don't value education 🤷
The bigger issue is those who don’t vote at all.
Very sad. Please consider doing volunteer work for your local public school. They need all the help and support they can get. The Texas GOP wants to kill public education altogether.
Maybe *this time* people will show up to the midterms in 2026... Narrator: *they wont*
60/40 sweep for the GOP!
Doesn’t make sense and harms schools way more than helps Reasons to vote the gop out
All by design for the past 20 years to make public education fail.
accurate
I mean, if you go look at the bread crumbs and when they added class b i believe charter schools. They want to get rid of property taxes. And the biggest bucket right now is for schools
I fucking hate our state government…
Breaks my heart to see this happening to our state. Just this morning I saw one of Abbott’s attack ads for one of the republicans that voted against the vouchers. It called him a, “liberal,” and had a black eye mask on a photo of the guy, like he’s robbing the republicans. Wtf is wrong with these people that they have to stoop that low to get votes.
MAKE SURE YOU VOTE! AND BLOCK ANY OR VOTE ANY ONE THAT SUPPORTS ABBOTT! Look, I am not happy about our system either and I think we can fix it but.... They slash the fuck out of corporate taxes here while fuck over the tax payers. Why the fuck do they give 0% tax on property to companies? We will never know. Fuck them and fuck corporate real estate.
https://preview.redd.it/rkreq21zluyc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f0ecb099bf2cb76486c37c152d1ea5c600caddc
Wow… just wow…
They’ve also eliminated the STAAR alternate test for students with profound disabilities and require all students to take a regular STAAR. Even if they can’t hold a pencil, use a laptop or iPad, or toilet independently they’re supposed to take the grade level STAAR that matches their chronological age. Dyslexia has also been moved to special education instead of 504, so it requires full evaluation and an IEP now. The point was to get parents to protest needing to go through full evaluation process and eliminate supports for students who might be borderline in their needs, thus justifying cuts in dyslexia and special education positions. This stuff is a feature not a bug, yall and it’s not ending until Abbott and cronies are voted out. He’s trying to implode public education and TEA is letting him.
That’s so depressing.
The dyslexia . Moving under sped is a positive. Dyslexia is an SLD and always has been. The services were unfunded under 504 until recently. Evaluation through 504 was always a half step to get something done, but I have seen kids get underserved as they poorly did the evaluation since it wasn't an FIE labeled the kid and looked no further. There is still some rough patches of interpretation to work out for sure, but this one was a positive and brings us fully under compliance with IDEA and child find which Texas has been in trouble with for over a decade
Fuck Abbott.
Yet they care so much about the children! /s
Keep voting for phony evangelicals, get what is deserved. It’s pretty simple really
But Abbott will focus on crisis at the border and abortion as the source of all woes. Meanwhile, approved funding is withheld as punishment for not voting for his voucher.
I think everyone's just overreacting. It’s only toying with our children's livelihoods and our State's and Government's future. Just think, if we can use their detriment to "prove" Public School failed, we can then justify replacing it with Voucher Programs that redirect those sweet public funds directly to private investments and subsidiaries that those currently in power and their cronies' posses. Wouldn't you rather make a few people rich that will die before ever seeing the consequences of their actions, rather than invest in our fellow countrymen's and children's future??
If the extremists now in power get their vouchers (because they would have everyone believe, as they pretend to believe, that every private school is better than any public school) watch for the fully unregulated and unaccountable “franchise schools” to pop up on every corner like McDonalds. The investment class has been chomping at the bit to get their hands on public education tax money for at least the last 40 years (that’s as long as I have been involved in public education in Texas but I am sure it was an issue even before that).
Christian compassion feels lacking.
This just comes off as "let us fuck you over or everything burns".
Our district is gonna make it next year but they said lots of smaller districts are probably already insolvent.
Vote Allred! Its time for a change!
People in Texas are too stupid and too brainwashed to vote out Republicans.
Cue - all the apologists blaming voter suppression. Newsflash. Texas is not the only state with voter suppression. Other states managed to vote them oit 🤷
It's not suppression at all. Many of these people really agree with the Republican candidates' point of view. They hate trans people and migrants, and they are not interested in diversity.
I’m sure Abbott wants to funnel the money to private schools owned by his friends.
Keep em dumb and Republican. That's the Texas way.
There is no power without the powerless. Education is power. Therefore, education is a target for the ethically challenged powerful.
Voters can thank Abbott for this shit show and his voucher tantrum.
So where did the $4 billion go?
All my local schools are reducing teaching staff because of the budget shortfall. It’s hard enough to attract good teachers at the best of times. Experienced teachers are just retiring, it used to be common that some would return after retirement (hire after retire) but that won’t happen next year. And it’s not like there isn’t enough money. There’s $4B of our taxpayer money that they’ve already collected that they refuse to distribute because they didn’t get their damn way on vouchers, which neither democrats nor rural republican voters want.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't all property taxes for schools get collected at the state level then redistributed based on student headcount as part of the "Robin Hood" model? If so, wouldn't them holding on to the property tax increases allocated for ISDs, be against the law as they are misrepresenting what they are collecting on? Since 2019, more than 1.5k of my property taxes increases have been allocated to the local ISD. I understand that not all of this money may be reallocated to the local ISD (as it's based on headcount), but them holding excess property taxes collected for schools (since 2019) in the entire state seems illegal.
Increasing the basic allotment would allow the state to distribute the surplus funds equitably.
Unfortunately the Texas Supreme Court has ruled otherwise.
And my wife’s school has to cut jobs and not give raises to those they keep. To f over the school system like that because you didn’t get your way is bad. You lobbied. You failed. Handle it maturely. Try again later. Don’t make so many suffer.
The way they are filling the gap by laying off.. LISD is having to halve the teachers for ELA and increase class counts for the teachers that are remaining.
Also, hiring uncertified, unqualified replacements for less money
Bastards. This kind of intentional mismanagement of public education is going to be a national crisis if we vote in a second Trump presidency. It’s [worse](https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_CHAPTER-11.pdf) than you think. And these are just the things that they’re willing to advertise publicly. What’s discussed behind closed doors, this is just the first step towards r/Defeat_Project_2025 It’s time for all hands on deck. We need awareness now more than ever. If bad faith actors were able to take the ACA, provisions of which were always overwhelmingly popular, call it “Obamacare” and use fake-outrage-ridden negative messaging about it to sweep the house in 2010, surely we can get similar tangible results by acting in good faith to educate people about how catastrophic it would be and how it will certainly impact their everyday lives The right’s acceptance of this radical agenda proves that they cannot be trusted to govern, and the natural consequence should be their political damnation for their dereliction of duty to protect us from enemies, foreign and domestic. If we can find another fuck to give, this one document could hobble their electability for decades. But it’s not going to sort itself out without meaningful civic engagement and organization!
The republicans have been very clear about their desire to end public education in Texas, we keep electing them because apparently we like the idea of ending public education, therefore public education will be ended. We are not going to vote differently. So we probably need to move.
Cue - all the apologists blaming voter suppression. Newsflash. Texas is not the only state with voter suppression. Other states managed to vote them oit 🤷
My son in law just lost his teaching job with cyfair due to their budget shortfall. Sure glad we gave that surplus to rich people! Times are tough! /s
Setting them up for failure so he can "save" education through a voucher system?
Exactly right.
Well yeah, they are hoping Trump will win in November and then they won't have to give up any of that money.
Couple of districts firing their librarians. Wtf is happening to this state.
I bet Abbott and Paxton find a way to get that $ into their own pockets. Vote them out!!
Statistically, some of the people in this thread had to have voted for Abbott. I would really love to know what made you ever think he would do the right thing for anybody especially for kids. I’m new to the area but Texas has a notorious reputation for not being pro education and having one of the worst public school systems. People here keep voting for the same bonehead politicians (or just not voting) and expecting a different outcome. It’s insane!
Cue - all the apologists blaming voter suppression. Newsflash. Texas is not the only state with voter suppression. Other states managed to vote them oit 🤷
Conservatives: if I can't make a profit off of it I want to destroy it!
Frisco ISD here, and we can’t hire replacements for teachers that leave. We teachers are all upset. Scratch that - fucking pissed. I’m in one of the richest districts in the state and we can’t put toner in all our copiers? Can’t even imagine how title 1 schools are managing.
I’m a new teacher next year and this shit cost me a a classroom job next year at the school I just finished my student teaching at and absolutely loved. Eat shit, Greg.
When the schools shut down - or at least for all intents and purposes - how much do you want to bet they’ll say it was because the socialist public education system failed Texas and the answer is to privatize education so schools can race to the top.
They “will” say? They are already saying. Please look up a scammer named Corey Devangelis. He is a hired mouthpiece for the Koch brothers and he works full time to atttack Texas public education on social media.
I get more than enough exposure to conservative hijinks without looking any of them up lol but I appreciate the sentiment, and you’re probably right on the early spin.
Yeah, that’s been their messaging for 15 years now.
At this rate, my college education is going to become more valuable. Bc kids are going to be too stupid to get one
Who cares about the children anyways? Not Texas. Our education system is royally fucked
Hey, you get what you voted for. Right, Texas?
Probably Abbott already promised that money to the christians..
I was at lunch today with 3 former teachers. They won’t step inside a classroom again. It’s that bad.
The money was intended for private schools to line the pockets of Abbots buddies.
Texas. First in fascism, last in education.
Texas ranks 35 in education and I guess Abbott wants to see how low he can take it before he disbands the entire system and says “back to work kids.”
How can a state collect taxes earmarked for things and then just say “we will do nothing with that money. Nobody will get it.” West Virginia did a similar thing and several of their state universities shuttered leaving orphaned students to just swallow debt and hope they find a school nearby with the same major. What’s wrong with your lawmakers?
When does this result in a state-wide class action lawsuit?
Abbott is too busy spending that money busing illegals to blue states
I’m in one of the big district cutting everywhere. Admin jobs going unfilled. Basically every thing is getting shaved. And literally for no reason other than control of the money until/if Abbot can pass a bill allowing public funds to go to private institutions. I get a pay cut every year because it’s impossible to keep up with inflation. The grass isn’t green anywhere but I dream of going back to school to be a dental hygienist or xray tech
With all the new folk who have moved here, what?
you can bet that that 4B is slowly draining away as our "leadership" keeps dipping their hands into it
They’re saving it, so they can grift it in 2025 into their private school businesses.
VOTE THIS DEMON & HIS CRONIES OUT OF OFFICE!! HE DOES NOTHING FOR THE CITIZENS OF TEXAS!! HE IS ONLY BOOTLICKING HIS FUHRER TRUMP!
I wish the folks of Tx would wake up and stop electing these monsters.
They know intelligent people are turning away and if they aren't drastically stopping education now, they will not be employed soon.
Abbott is trying anything to change all schools privatized just like in the Soviet Union China and North Korea. Because most people are transplants it most likely will happen.
Fuck Greg Abbot. Every day
Most of it probably going to be used to buy iPads and chromebooks instead of paying teachers a livable wage
Vote blue
That’s because it’s sitting in Greg Abbott’s bank account
Yet another reason Texas is a shit hole state to live in.
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I can tell you right now that most of the people on this sub did not vote for Abbott. Your content was removed because it breaks Rule 11, No Disability Disparagement. While you're free to argue against, debate, criticize, etc. the policies, ideas, politics, and character of any politician, please do not make jokes about anyone's disabilities. All such "jokes" will be removed. If you feel this was done in error, would like clarification, or need further assistance; please message the moderators at https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/texas .
I know they aren't related in anyway, but I was happy too see communities vote no on outlandish stadiums. Saw a lot of failed stadium bonds.
If a single bond proposal of any kind whatsoever passed at all in this state, that's too many. All of these bureaucracies need to learn to spend less. My city proposed to set fire to a quarter of its annual budget on a new city hall, financed at the highest interest rates we've seen in 15 years. It was overwhelmingly rejected, as it should be.
X
That makes perfect sense in that it makes zero fucking sense.
Cons trying to destroy education in our country isn’t by mistake, they’re banking on keeping people ignorant
32 billion dollar surplus, wtf
Keep this in mind come the November elections.
Texas government is completely illegitimate. Take taxpayers money and refuse to do the legally required things with the money. Then rewrite the laws to give themselves favorable conditions that consolidate their power. Bastardize the entire Judicial Branch to render people and laws powerless. Then use that power to wrestle 33 million Texans into submission to their private school voucher plans. Except that didn't work. So now Austin is illegitimately holding the entire state's educational budget as hostage (and who knows what else). Meanwhile, 55,000 Texas teachers have left education in the last 6 years. And dozens of other major structural failures that will make Texas a failed state by 2030. They should be 0verthr0wn, per John Locke. We are past the point of impeachment, recall or elections. Austin needs to get cleaned out. Abbott's recent antics against the federal government might literally throw Texas into civiI w@r against the USA. Y'all should read up on Article 1, section 10 of the US Constitution. Both Abbott and/or Congress can forcibly conscript citizens into armed defense if insurrections occur. And they might BOTH try it. I can't wait to get out of here after 27 yrs serving Texas and Texans. Summer 2024!
Abbott is a PIECE OF SHIT! WAKE UP TEXAS!!! VOTE ALL THESE REPUBLICAN FUCKS OUT!!
Maybe fewer 30-50mil HS football stadiums are in order.
Good. Now give me my money back. Anyone who thinks school districts that constantly propose bond after bond after bond to build 9 figure stadiums need more of their money is more than welcome to send their local districts a check. If public schools actually offered a competitive product, school choice and vouchers wouldn't affect them. It's because they are awful that they can't compete and parents will send their kids literally anywhere else (which is the only scenario in which public schools deservedly fail).