Facing State Cuts, Will Schools Raise Local Taxes?
Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, is the latest lawmaker to say it: A $4 billion shortfall in state financing does not have to mean teachers lose their jobs.
At the end of the legislative session, Ogden, told his colleagues in the Senate that school districts could spend their reserve money. They could “tighten their belts in other areas,” he said. Or they could pursue what he called “a good exercise in democracy” and ask voters to raise local taxes.
Across the state, school districts are considering the last option. But will the same public that sent lawmakers to Austin in November ...
Comments (28)
jpt51
Love to see Texas school districts suspend all athletics (but expand P.E.) for the next two years, realizing they'd have to rebuild their coaching staff in two years. Yes, it's heresy here but it would also show students that their education is why they're going to school. Districts during the Great Depression had to cut much deeper than athletics. I hope some districts have the backbone to go through with this idea. Shame on Gov. Perry and the Lege for passing the buck to the locals to deal with.
stephanie klick
The Keller ISD has their TRE scheduled for June 18th. This is interesting because the KISD decided to have the election before they knew about state funding. If the 0.13 tax hike passes the KISD will have one of the highest tax rates in the state.
In recent years taxing entities have been able to rely on increased revenue, because housing values were going up. When values began declining, some districts did not reduce their spending.
By raising taxes now, they will contribute to the declining values problem. Because of the higher taxes, home buyers will chose more affordable districts. A tax increase of several hundred dollars, may push homeowners that are already financially struggling, into foreclosure. Increased foreclosures & higher taxes will make it harder to sell homes in the district, causing values to decline further. Declining values= declining tax revenue.
Wallis Parnelle
#1) Here is the pattern of behavior, you can watch, ready? Push the voters to the point of election protest, throw out the GOP, raise property taxes, to fix the mess, campaign, against ruling party as big spenders, get back in power, start the process all over again against another targeted idea. Then repeat from #1, over and over again, with the voters paying more and more.
Texascattleco
If public schools dropped every football program in the state for two years at this month's school board meeting. Perry would call another special secession to make sure schools could have both athletics and teachers.
Michael Cosper via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There will be a LOT of resistance to a raise in property taxes. Combined with increased property appraisals in Austin, declining job opportunities with lower wages?
tthomas48
It's interesting that states rights are so important to Republicans and yet they're doing such a good job eliminating the state's role in government. As funding becomes more and more local cities are just going to go directly to the federal government for their needs. I would not be surprised to see Texas made up of 4 metroplex city-states (Houston, DFW, Austin/San Antonio, El Paso) that fund themselves and rural communities that run the state legislature and have decreasing political and monetary power.
tthomas48
There will be especially strong resistance to raising property taxes in places like Austin since 50% of our taxes go to the idiots who vote for these Republicans. They're destroying our schools and then asking us to pay for theirs.
Irene Solnik via Texas Tribune on Facebook
why don't they just make corporations pay their fair share? Answer donations
Michael JJ Messer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Unfortunately, even if the local property taxes are raised to their maximum rate, it will not even come close to making up for the state budget cuts. This isn't 'tightening the belt,' as the Tea Party would have you believe. This is an attempt to permanently establish a lower level of funding for our school system. Senator Dan Patrick has called public education an entitlement, and his party is doing their best to get rid of it.
Stephen J Wright via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If Ogden was honest, his quote would have been: "we abdicated our state constitutional obligation to properly fund Texas schools and we're passing the buck".
Michael JJ Messer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Or even: "We knew that we created this structural tax deficit in 2006 when we capped property taxes and never made up the difference with business taxes. We just didn't feel like trying to solve the problem. We'll see you in two years for another $5 billion in cuts."
muldertx
Why stop at athletics, let's cut all extra-curricular activities. Besides athletics, we can cut band, choir, drama, art, etc . . . Let's ignore the studies that say students that are in extra-curricular activities do better in school academically, socially, and their attendance increases. I have had students who were able to go to college because of scholarships received for their "extra-curricular activities".
Remember, local school districts are not increasing spending, the state is cutting funding. Are there school districts that could cut waste, yes there are but there are many more that were doing a good job educating students and managing their money.
In response to stephanie klick, the Texas House put out their budget with an $8 billion cut in education several months ago. The local school districts started preparing based on this estimate. The Texas Senate came out with their budget with a $4 billion cut in May. With a better estimate of the education cuts Keller ISD then called for a TRE. Also, you have forgot to mention that Keller ISD made $16 million of cuts in early April. These cuts included staff as well as programs which none of these will ever come back. If the TRE is not passed another $16 million of cuts will be made including more programs and more staff. Keller ISD earned Five Stars on the new Financial Allocation Study of Texas (FAST). FAST is a five-star rating system based on School Spending and Student Progress, which identifies Texas school districts that achieve strong student performance while keeping spending growth to a minimum. This means Keller ISD does not have the waste to cut like other districts so their cuts will hurt students and staff more than other districts.
Claudia Corum via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And they'll blame the district tax hikes on ...... Obama.
Michael JJ Messer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I think that might actually be the plan. All across the US, state politicians have been drastically cutting their state budgets in the name of 'fiscal responsibility' even though numerous other options exist. When the unemployment rate swells drastically due to the collective amount of state cuts, it will be significantly more difficult for Obama to retain his presidency. They get a full flock of birds with one stone. They gut education, healthcare, etc, while undermining the possiblity of his re-election. They know that local and state politics are not followed closely, and these cuts will be lumped into the national coverage by the media. It is a pretty sick plan, but when you consider who is behind the Tea Party, it makes sense. Libertarians have no qualms with throwing the poor and needy under the bus, and they don't seem to worry about the middle-class either. They have a 'Everyone-for-Themselves' kind of mentality, and they believe that anyone who isn't on their side is a socialist.
Mary Lynn VanZandt Neill via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How do people feel about increasing taxes in Alcohol?Hey,don't get the messenger~but I'd thought that proposal was on the table(so to speak).No,no~no increase in property taxes,not if 1) you want to get re-elected(and we'll rethink that!anyway) 2)they are way too high now!
Mary Lynn VanZandt Neill via Texas Tribune on Facebook
You may be right,Claudia,not Obama per se,but the "blame game" and "hot Button issues" surface during elections and then go *poof*afetr.
Mary Lynn VanZandt Neill via Texas Tribune on Facebook
after
GS Crispus
Here is ole Dan Patrick on just such budget realities:
http://bcove.me/m0qbf7e1
You see, ole Dan admits theres a structural deficit. The thing that I find funny, as hes frequently known for screaming at government for lying on his radio station, is that he essentially misdirects the truth in this interview.
He has steadfastly limited tax-increases and promoted "starve the beast" in Cy-Fair ISD through the radio. He is well known for his saber rattling in District 7. He was steadfastly against the business tax changes in 2006 because he did not want them to tax in the first place! Now he claims there is a shortfall that needs to be addressed!
If his record is any indication, he wants to defund public schools further, but he aint going to tell you the truth because hes a goddamn liar. Just watch, two years from now, it will be the same ole same ole "tighten the belt" nonsense we've been hearing from his ilk since 2006.
Kathi Thomas
Of course the districts will have to try to raise taxes. Even with the significant cuts our local district has made, we're about $2.5 million in the hole, and if taxes were raised to the max they can be raised, that would bring in about $2.5 million. The other option is for them to take the money from our local reserve fund, hope like hell that we don't have a major problem on any of the campuses, and hope like hell that the Lege comes to its senses. Otherwise, in 2 sessions, our district will be broke, and then will have to borrow money, which will put them owing even more. It is a downhill spiral that this bunch of "no nothings and proud of it" have brought us to. Shame on them!
I'd say the same about athletics, but they mostly pay for themelsves, so if they go away, so does the revenue they bring it. At best, it is likely to be a "break even" thing, and that doesn't put money into the schools. Bond money is used for building the facilities, not state money and voters have to approve it for them to be built.
John Gowan
Why would Highland Park (Dallas) raise taxes? 69.7% of all taxes raised go to the State under Chapter 41 "Robin Hood". If you think we would raise our taxes so we could send the State more than the $70+ million we are already sending you nuts.
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Michael and as all what you speak of takes place corporations sit on mountains of $$$$$$!
Michael Cosper via Texas Tribune on Facebook
They are getting rid of public education. They are opening up the public education funds to the private schools that will be owned by Wall Street corporations both parties are supporting this policy nationwide and so is Obama. The public will look at it as an ethnic situation sooner than later and resent paying to educate "others" children. Especially if they can get a government subsidy to send their kids to private schools in private buildings that were paid for with public funds.
Sander Shapiro
I have been told by good authority, but I haven't verified it independently, that if a local school district such as Austin raised taxes, it could not keep the increased revenue created by that event because of the Robin Hood provisions. Is this true? SWS
John Gowan
Sander
Austin as well as other ISDs may have what is referred to as "Golden Pennies" remaining in their pocket. If so the district can raise the taxes by the amount of golden pennies they still have and not be subject to Chapter 41 "Robin Hood" on the golden penny amount. I believe HPISD (Dallas) has on or two golden pennies to use. Any amount raised over the golden penny allotment becomes subject to Robin Hood. For example, in HPISD's case, if you have no golden pennies and raise taxes you are subject to the Chapter 41 recapture formula. The State of Texas then " Steals" the revenue based on the formula. In HPISD's case that would be $69.7 out of $100 would go to the State of Texas. Since the State of Texas uses the monies recaptured under Robin Hood in their calculation of how much they are going to allocate to the districts it is clearly a redistribution of wealth. It is a very complex method of theft.
tthomas48
The reason Dr. Carstarphen in AISD has been reticent to go for the tax increase is that it is expected they'll get around $.57 on the dollar, and might not be worth the political battle for the amount of revenue generated.
Chris Fff
There sure are a lot of clueless people doing a lot of commenting. Party affiliation isn't the major issue, 99% of ALL politicians are abusive in regards to spending because they are all playing with OPM (other people's money). There are a myriad number of issues that have caused us to be in the position we are facing. Illegal immigration, outrageous salaries (coaches and administrators), palatial school buildings, fraud, waste, abuse, redundant administrative costs, etc...
The next time you are tempted to post a stupid comment, keep in mind that it's better to be quiet and have people think you're a fool, than to open your mouth (or submit a post) and prove it.
tthomas48
Chris you would do well to heed your own advice. Your views on the priorities of government are abusive to the money I gladly pay in taxes. I've suffered enough from Republicans trying to waste my money so that the public concludes that government is broken. We are the government, and we need to demand value for our money. If you abdicate that right, then stop voting and let those of us who do care fix things.
The easiest way to fix Texas' budget problems is to convert to an income tax. Property taxes unfairly target urban areas and suburbs. Let's start letting the free-loaders living on ranches with their ag exemptions start paying their fair share.
Phillip Sanders
To those of you that are suggesting cutting athletics and / or athletics: get online and view your local schools budget. You will see that 75-80% goes to personnel, 10-15% goes to transportation and maintenance, and lastly all of extra-curricular activities receive 5% or less.
Coaches in Texas are teachers. The majority of coaches teach core classes (Science, Math, English, Social Studies) along with their coaching duties.
Also, I keep reading and hearing about facilities (schools) and stadiums being built. Guess what? If your school is building it then you voted for them to do it through a bond election.
Some very uneducated people in Texas on how public schools operate here in Texas. There are either people that have cared not to get involved until now or there are a lot of non Texans moving in that don't understand how the system operates.