School districts keep tabs on funding bill - Dallas Business Journal:

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The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Scott Hochberg, would pump $1.9 billion of new money into publifc school districts over the nexttwo years, try to remedgy the inequities of the current system by increasing revenue to poorer school districts and would guarantee every district at least $100 more for each student. So far, the bill has clearexd the House, and has a good shot of passinhgthis session, legislative experts say. Currently in the , the bill likelhy will be voted on in some form and possibly adderd onto by a similae bill proposed bystatw Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano.
Both bills seek to increasee state funding fromcurrent levels, which cap the statd funding provided per studentf to 2005-2006 school-year levels. The issuw is especially important to many schoop districts across the state that are carryingbudgeft deficits. The legislation would be “a literalp relief” to the Dallaa Independent School District, said Michael Dallas school district superintendent.
“It would help us stumble forward,” he With the new legislation, it is estimated that the schoo l districtof 157,000 studentd — which is carrying abouyt a $30 million deficit — wouls receive about $18 million each year for the next two years, he And it would mean “w would have a cushioh for other things,” Hinojosa said. The bill woulsd raise the district’s state funding per studengt by $100 per year. Dallas schoolp district currentlyreceives $5,230 per student, based on a formula that is Hinojosa said.
And for the past four that funding amount has remained unchanged despitse the customary inflationaryand cost-of-living increasesd that districts face, he said. The bill addresses theser types ofcustomary increases, but approval for such increases isn’r likely in a tight budget said Dan Casey, a partner at Moak, , a school finance consultanf group in Austin. The state’s public school districts makeup “qa $40 billion system, so that even dealing a modestg amount of inflation is really expensive.
So givenj the economy and its that’s not just viable,” he Another provision of the bill woulfd givea $800 across-the-board pay raise to all but many school districts are opposed to that, becaused they feel that should be left to the discretion of districgt officials, who are most familiar with where that fundingh should go and to what areas they are most needed. Hinojosa said that moneyt would be more likely needed to address increases inhealth insurance, for for the Dallas school district. And another provision that might be adderd to the Hochberg bill comesfrom Shapiro’s bill.
It woule allow districts to raise local taxes by 2additionalo cents, without requiring it be put to an Casey said. If that provision were passes it would help to provideabougt $19 million in additional funding, that includesa local and state matching dollars, to DISD, said Larryh Throm, executive chief financial officer for Dallas schoo l district. It would be a huge help to schoopl districts statewide in narrowinv theirdeficits — and getting some much neededs relief to pay for standardx operating increases, Casey said.
Districtxs generally are only permittedc to get additional tax increases through an election by districtfvoters — and only if they are expanding their facilities or operations, rather than just trying to maintainb levels from year-to-year, he said. “A lot of districts see that as a criticak lifeline if they can accessa thoseadditional funds,” Casey “If this bill doesn’t pass, it coulc mean no raises (for no health insurance support. ... It would mean a lot of cuts for Hinojosa said. But even if it does it doesn’t do even close to all the work that many publicx school advocates would likeit to.
“Right now, we have a that will help us to survive fortwo years,” Hinojosa said. “Every two years, we just go back and relivr it.”