Texas School Coalition

The Texas House is voting on our Taxparency bill (House Bill 195) on Tuesday, and we are encouraging you to make a call or send an email to your legislator(s) by Monday to ask them to support it.

This bill lets taxpayers know what % of their local taxes is recaptured and sent to the state what % remains in the school district for its local use.

Thank you, Representative Mihaela E. Plesa, for filing HB 195 and collaborating with us on this bill. We value the “taxparency” it provides to taxpayers so they can know what percent of their local property taxes is sent to the state for Recapture and what percent stays in the school district.

Taxpayers should know how much of their local tax bill is getting removed by the state through the process of recapture. They should also know how the state chooses to spend those dollars.

Legislation that provides "taxparency" to the taxpayer is being heard on Monday in House Ways and Means at 2pm. Taxpayers can learn what percentage of their property taxes goes to recapture and what percentage stays in the local school district.

Watch Hearing: https://loom.ly/pVnwaHw
Submit comments: https://loom.ly/z35_kS0

Any school receiving public funding should be transparent with taxpayers about how it is spending its resources. Private schools getting publicly funded ESAs must be held accountable, just like traditional public schools.

The state removes dollars from local school districts through recapture, but we don’t know what happens to the dollars after that. Education dollars should stay in education.

More state funding will raise teacher salaries and make it easier for Texas public schools to attract and retain certified teachers. Too many certified teachers are leaving the profession for other fields with better pay.

Funding for public education has not kept up with schools’ rising costs. The combination of high inflation and stagnant funding is making it difficult for schools to prepare the workforce Texas needs.

Employers say the presence of a well-educated workforce helps determine where to invest, expand, and relocate. Texas needs strong, well-funded public schools to supply the workforce that employers need.

Leaders and students from Alamo Heights ISD visited with their legislative delegation, the Speaker of the House, and legislative leaders in the Texas Capitol to share the impact of the draconian cuts that they have implemented this school year in response to 5 years of inflation without new revenue from the legislature.

The legislature can use the state's $24 billion surplus to minimize the impact of inflation experienced by schools, teachers, nurses, counselors, and paraprofessionals.

Since HB 5 was enacted in 2013, schools have increased collaborations with businesses to expand offerings and meet workforce needs. Let’s keep building on these partnerships — they’re good for kids and our economy!