Latest news with #NorthsideISD
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Texas Legislature passes public school funding
Texas public schools are about to get a long-awaited funding boost, with an $8.5 billion school finance bill awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature. Why it matters: Public school funding has been a priority during the legislative session that ends Monday. The legislation increases teacher pay and per-student funding, but some public school advocates say it isn't enough to get districts out of multimillion-dollar deficits and rough waters ahead. Context: The last time Texas increased the basic allotment, or base funding per student, was 2019. Advocates have said the state would have needed to grow it by more than $1,300 per student since then to keep pace with inflation. The big picture: In the meantime, Texas districts have closed campuses to make ends meet. Districts have also faced teacher shortages and falling school performance ratings. The future of federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education is uncertain under the Trump administration. Flashback: In 2023, Abbott said he wouldn't touch a school funding bill until lawmakers created a private school voucher program. They didn't and school funding remained stagnant. This month, Abbott signed a $1 billion voucher program into law — participating families would get roughly $10,000 per child in taxpayer money for private school tuition — so he is expected to sign the school funding bill. Catch up quick: The final version of House Bill 2 is a compromise between the Texas House and Senate. The House, led in part by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), initially passed a bill to increase per-student funding by $395. The compromise bill raises per-student funding by $55 instead. How it works: District officials say the basic allotment is what gives them the most flexibility to address their particular needs. The final version of the bill focuses on educator pay, which accounts for more than $4 billion of the spending in it. What they're saying:"This is not going to come anywhere close to curbing the three-quarters, 75%-plus, of the districts that are operating a deficit budget," John Craft, superintendent of Northside ISD, San Antonio's largest district, told school board members Tuesday. "You don't see me doing back flips right now. This is not to say that the increase in the much-needed teacher compensation piece is not appreciated." Northside ISD adopted a budget with a deficit of $93.7 million this year. The other side: The Texas American Federation of Teachers union supported the compromise bill, "which makes significant investments in educators and support staff while hopefully also keeping the lights on for another two years in our public school classrooms," Zeph Capo, Texas AFT president, said in a statement. "This legislation provides the largest teacher pay raise in history, targeted funding for our special education students, investments in early childhood learning and additional funding for our schools to address the rising fixed costs of operation," House Public Education Committee chair Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado) said in a statement.
Axios
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Axios
San Antonio schools mum on immigration plans
School leaders in many parts of the U.S. are reassuring parents their children are safe from immigration officers on campus, but San Antonio area districts have largely stayed quiet. Why it matters: Immigration enforcement in schools could be widely disruptive. Even the threat of arrests on campus could result in some students staying home, which could impact school funding. About 7% of people who are undocumented in Bexar County live with a child under 18 who is not a citizen, per the Migration Policy Institute. Catch up quick: The Trump administration last week announced it was ending the policy of avoiding arrests in schools and other "sensitive" areas. State of play: Northside ISD, the city's largest district, does not plan to issue any communications or FAQs about immigration, district spokesperson Barry Perez tells Axios. "We are not going to respond to speculation about possible action by the new administration," Perez says. "Northside ISD will comply with all federal, state and local laws." San Antonio ISD issued a letter to families and staff last week that reminded them of available resources but stopped short of offering plans in the event that immigration agents show up at schools. "Regardless of background, identity or circumstance, every student has a right to an education free from fear or discrimination," the letter from SAISD's leadership reads. In 2017, SAISD published an FAQ detailing that public schools enroll students regardless of their immigration status, adding that they don't collect or share that information. The district on Friday said it had updated the FAQ and that it will not coordinate raids with immigration officials. Other area districts did not respond to Axios' request for information. What we're watching: Last week, more than two dozen Democratic state lawmakers asked the Texas Education Agency to issue guidance for districts on how to prepare for immigration enforcement actions.
