House members start shifting attention to
school finance
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Education Chairman Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington, said last week
that he plans to bring his school finance bill to the House floor soon -- but
with a major change.
In its previous form, House Bill 5 had called for scrapping the
finance plan by September 2005 and giving schools an extra $1.2 billion to
spend as they chose.
The idea was to force lawmakers to come to grips with the state's
complex and controversial method of paying for public schools.
Grusendorf said last week that the bill will be amended to move
the sunset date up to September 2004. If a new funding system is not in place
by then, the current method would continue, he said.
"We're sending a signal that we're definitely going to have a
special session on school finance and we're going to deal with this
issue," Grusendorf said.
Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas,
reinforced the sense in
Branch, who serves on the
House Education and Appropriations committees, said he has discussed a special
session several times with Gov. Rick Perry.
"He has expressed on
several occasions that he desires to and intends to call a special session and
that the question is really just the timing," Branch said.
The change in HB 5 drew praise from a spokesman for a teachers
group.
Brock Gregg, government relations director for the Association of
Texas Professional Educators, said the "safety net" in the bill was a
positive development. The 100,000-member teacher group had strongly opposed
ending the finance system without having a new one in place.
"We have to do something about school finance but throwing
down the gauntlet may not be the way to go. This is a compromise that sets a
date but still allows the schools to be funded if they can't come up with a
solution and that certainly makes us feel better," Gregg said.
Grusendorf said legislative leaders need to build public support
for revising the school-funding system.
"Whatever we do is going to require tax restructuring in some
form or fashion and we need to air the issue to the public for a few months and
talk about what the options are," he said.
A special committee on school finance completed its yearlong
review in November without settling on specific recommendations for the
Legislature.
The report came after an election campaign in which candidates
from both parties called for changes to the finance system, which relies
heavily on local property taxes.
Critics have attached the "Robin Hood" label to the
school funding plan because it requires 118 wealthy school districts to share
property tax revenues with poorer districts. Supporters say the
share-the-wealth system has allowed poor districts to make significant gains.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is reportedly working on a school finance
plan that would lower property taxes by increasing the state sales tax.
Dewhurst has not unveiled his plan.
In an interview in his Capitol office, Grusendorf also briefly
discussed the future of his "freedom scholarship," or private school
voucher bill.
The measure would establish pilot voucher programs in 11 school
districts for children of low-income parents. It has support from a bipartisan
group of House members.
Teacher groups strongly oppose the bill, saying it would give tax
dollars to private schools at a time when public education is in crisis.
Backers say the program would offer an option to students who are
doing poorly in public schools.
The measure, House Bill 2465, was voted out of Grusendorf's
committee April 3 and remains in the Calendars Committee, which decides which
bills will be debated on the floor.
Grusendorf said the issue could be addressed during a special
session on school finance.
But Matthew Ladner, vice president for policy research with the
pro-voucher Children First America, said he remains optimistic that the House
will approve the voucher bill before the session ends.
John Kirsch (512) 476-4294 jkirsch@star-telegram.com