Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Texas business & political leaders are stressing how important it is for Sstate legislators to fully fund the purchase of textbooks and instructional materials during this years budget debate for public school students.
Theres something in the Texas Constitution that says the Permanent School Fund (PSF money must be spent on textbooks. We think it should have first call."
Texas Association of Business President Bill Hammond
Hammond and Texas Insider President & CEO Jim Cardle urged Texas lawmakers to make sure $550 million of the $3 billion provided by the State Board of Education (SBOE) is used this session according to the purpose specified in the Texas Constitution which is to buy textbooks for the states 5 million schoolchildren. Cardle said a new statewide poll shows Texans overwhelmingly want lawmaker to spend the money on new textbooks as the Constitution directs. The poll found 83 of Texans across all political and ideological lines
support full funding for the new textbooks.
Those books are due in classrooms across the state this fall and are needed to teach the more rigorous curriculums required by the Texas Legislature.
Hammond pointed out that the future prosperity of Texas is strongly linked to the educational founding provided to Texans.
Legislative budget writers should prioritize $550 million of the $3 billion for new digital and print materials for pre-kindergarten English as a Second Language writing & science Hammond said.
