In an editorial, the Longview News-Journal takes a stand against Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s push for school vouchers.
The governor’s multi-year obsession with a private voucher program shows his education priorities. It’s too bad Abbott doesn’t have the same drive and enthusiasm to make sure his state’s public schools are adequately funded.
In the 2023 session, the governor held an increase in public education funding hostage, tying it to passage of his vouchers plan. That decision has trickled down to local school districts, which have been forced to pass deficit budgets and desperately find creative ways to raise revenue amid numerous budget challenges. Those challenges include more state mandates, inflation and declining daily student attendance post-COVID. State lawmakers last increased the average daily attendance allotment — the basis for public school funding — in 2019 in an economic environment that seems light years ago.
In Longview, all of those factors have hit home.
Spring Hill ISD’s board decided to raise revenue by accepting transfer students who pay a fee.
“… We were forced into this position,” said Place 1 Trustee Holly Kirl.
Across town in Longview ISD, officials say daily attendance — and therefore state revenue — has steadily dropped since 2022-23, forcing budget cuts.
“We closed over 70 position based on resignation or retirements over the last six months,” Wayne Guidry, assistant superintendent of finance, said in July. “We didn’t ask anybody to leave or force anybody to leave.”
He added that the district’s central office has cut multiple positions during the past three years, and all budgets with the exception of security have gone through a 10% cut.
Those tough financial situations and others experienced by school districts across the state should draw closer scrutiny to Abbott’s desire for a voucher program, which would funnel taxpayer money to pay for private education.
Opponents of such a program continue to sound the same alarm with the same objections: Public schools that already are underfunded would be drained even further.
