Fort Bend County, Texas (KTRK) – Since 2021, Fort Bend ISD has had to cut its budget by about $40 million to keep up with inflation and rising education costs.
“Our funding per student is comparable to most states in the country. I mean, we’re in the 40s,” said Steve Bassett, deputy superintendent of Fort Bend.
Bassett said that if they want to give teachers a 2% raise next year, they need to find a way to cut an additional $23 million from their budget. This is on top of the decision to actually close Blueridge Elementary.
“A 2% increase will not be enough to retain our teachers. They are tired. Exhausted. Not to mention the ability to recruit and retain nurses or police officers or bus drivers,” Bassett said.
Bassett said the state has a budget surplus of $33 billion, so he hopes the state will increase per-student allowances. But since 2019, over the past four years, the state has awarded districts $6,160 per student.
RELATED: SBISD May Have to Cut Security Measures and Education Program If State Doesn’t Fund 90%
During the 2021 legislative session, that didn’t change, but there wasn’t much of a pushback because federal funding during the COVID pandemic filled in the gaps.
“The state will not continue to be the state if public education suffers,” Bassett said.
The ISD spring branch is also sounding the alarm. On Thursday, school leaders told families that if the state did not step up its funding, they would have to make deep cuts to education, safety and more.
The board of trustees met Friday to discuss the status of their budget for Spring Branch and the response of lawmakers when they asked for more money.
In a joint statement from Sens. Joan Hoffman and Paul Bettencourt on Thursday, they said, “It is deeply troubling that district leadership is threatening students and families with cutting services and increasing taxes while state aid to the district is mounting.”
Spring Branch ISD said it needs an increase of $1,000 per student to maintain normal operations. The state offers an increase of just $50 per student.
SEE ALSO: Texas Senate budget proposes billions to increase teachers, cut property taxes, and water projects
“One of the challenges we’ve put out to our lawmakers that’s questioning our numbers is to show us where we’re wrong,” said a Spring Branch ISD board member.
Bassett said districts across the state are facing the same difficult decision of where to cut while putting the best foot forward for their students.
“It’s going to get tough,” Bassett said.
For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on FacebookAnd Twitter And Instagram.
[ad_2]
https://abc13.com/school-funding-fort-bend-isd-spring-branch-houston-area-districts/13129049/
