Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas I am certain we can all agree that public and higher education are facing a very tough legislative session in 2011. We have been told to anticipate a state budget shortfall of almost $20 billion. Since last November I have had personal meetings with the administrators of our local public school districts as well as Del Mar College and Texas A&M University.
Ive been told they have been working hard the last few months formulating strategies that will allow them to continue providing the same level of education with less money. I applaud them for their efforts and their dedication to their community.
I know that it is not going to be easy. We can also agree that maintaining a good public school system and competitive colleges and universities is crucial to the economic future of the Coastal Bend and of the state of Texas. Shortchanging them could have devastating effects and could end up costing taxpayers more in the long run.
We all know that this legislative session is going to be about money. Formulating a plan that will get us through these very lean times with minimal diversion from the states education goals is going to be a huge task. Therefore I wish to recommend these three simple steps to begin to process:
1. Do away with unfunded mandates. Lets give more control to local decision makers.
2. Budget cuts must be prioritized. This means that if employees must be released then the first to go must be administration and auxiliary staff. Lets make sure that the last one to be laid off will be our teachers.
3. Cut the waste from other state agencies and roll the savings over to further fund our state education budget. If education is truly the foundation of our economic future then we must make it our number one priority in regards to spending. For example so far I have located approximately $15 million in spending cuts in Title VI funding sources in just one day of review.
I do wish to make another point very clear. Texas public education has a school spending problem that must be solved. It does not have a school revenue problem. Take a look at some spending facts that were published by the Texas Public Policy Foundation in their report titled K-12 Education Growth just released in January 2011.
Total Texas public school expenditures increased 334.5 from 1987 to 2007 an increase of 142 when adjusting for inflation.
Texas central administrators had a larger increase in salaries over the last 20 years than teachers.
Texas per-pupil costs increased from $3659 in 1987 to $11024 in 2007 a 66 increase when adjusted for inflation.
Texas education staff increased 71.5 percent between 1989 and 2009 while student enrollment only increased 44.5.
I believe that the Texas legislature will make a very costly mistake if in trying to resolve the current years funding controversy it increases or restores state spending to the prior years levels just because it makes some people happy. This is not smart use of our money.
We must be wise stewards of these resources and make sure that whatever money is allocated to education is reasonable and necessary and that the service of education produces the results Texas parents and children deserve and expect. After all these are your tax dollars at work in Texas.
Well tomorrow is another day at the Capitol. I think its time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. I invite you to join me at our next committee meeting so together we can tackle these challenges .
Lets move Texas forward.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas I am certain we can all agree that public and higher education are facing a very tough legislative session in 2011. We have been told to anticipate a state budget shortfall of almost $20 billion. Since last November I have had personal meetings with the administrators of our local public school districts as well as Del Mar College and Texas A&M University.
Ive been told they have been working hard the last few months formulating strategies that will allow them to continue providing the same level of education with less money. I applaud them for their efforts and their dedication to their community.
I know that it is not going to be easy. We can also agree that maintaining a good public school system and competitive colleges and universities is crucial to the economic future of the Coastal Bend and of the state of Texas. Shortchanging them could have devastating effects and could end up costing taxpayers more in the long run.
We all know that this legislative session is going to be about money. Formulating a plan that will get us through these very lean times with minimal diversion from the states education goals is going to be a huge task. Therefore I wish to recommend these three simple steps to begin to process:
1. Do away with unfunded mandates. Lets give more control to local decision makers.
2. Budget cuts must be prioritized. This means that if employees must be released then the first to go must be administration and auxiliary staff. Lets make sure that the last one to be laid off will be our teachers.
3. Cut the waste from other state agencies and roll the savings over to further fund our state education budget. If education is truly the foundation of our economic future then we must make it our number one priority in regards to spending. For example so far I have located approximately $15 million in spending cuts in Title VI funding sources in just one day of review.
I do wish to make another point very clear. Texas public education has a school spending problem that must be solved. It does not have a school revenue problem. Take a look at some spending facts that were published by the Texas Public Policy Foundation in their report titled K-12 Education Growth just released in January 2011.
Total Texas public school expenditures increased 334.5 from 1987 to 2007 an increase of 142 when adjusting for inflation.
Texas central administrators had a larger increase in salaries over the last 20 years than teachers.
Texas per-pupil costs increased from $3659 in 1987 to $11024 in 2007 a 66 increase when adjusted for inflation.
Texas education staff increased 71.5 percent between 1989 and 2009 while student enrollment only increased 44.5.
I believe that the Texas legislature will make a very costly mistake if in trying to resolve the current years funding controversy it increases or restores state spending to the prior years levels just because it makes some people happy. This is not smart use of our money.
We must be wise stewards of these resources and make sure that whatever money is allocated to education is reasonable and necessary and that the service of education produces the results Texas parents and children deserve and expect. After all these are your tax dollars at work in Texas.
Well tomorrow is another day at the Capitol. I think its time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. I invite you to join me at our next committee meeting so together we can tackle these challenges .
Lets move Texas forward.
