The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments.

• Alpine ISD superintendent’s op-ed presents a case study of the budget deficits facing school districts across Texas.
• Educators may attend The Texas Tribune Festival at a deep discount—and, thanks to an ATPE partnership, earn CPE credit.
• HD 56 special election set for Nov. 5, coinciding with the general election.
• Attention, ATPE members: The first wave of applications for 2024-25 state committee service is Monday, Aug. 25.

SCHOOL FINANCE: The Alpine Avalanche published an op-ed earlier this month by Alpine ISD Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rinehart in which Rinehart explores the “uphill battle” her school district faces in terms of school funding—which is “compounded by our state’s ongoing underfunding of public education.” In this blog post, ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield takes a closer look at Rinehart’s op-ed, which serves as a case study of the fiscal challenges faced by districts across Texas as ESSER dollars expire and state leadership holds available funding hostage in an attempt to pass a school voucher scheme.

TRIBFEST: ATPE is proud to partner with The Texas Tribune Festival to offer continuing professional education (CPE) credit for Texas educators at more than 50 sessions during TribFest, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. More than 300 state and national leaders will gather for conversations offering an inside look at what’s next for Texas and the nation. Educators may purchase a $75 educator ticket to access all panel discussions in the regular TribFest program; you must use an institution-affiliated ticket (ending in .edu or .org) to purchase the discounted ticket at https://trib.it/X5S3xw. Preview the 50-plus sessions eligible for CPE credit by viewing the TribFest schedule. Click the yellow “Filters” button on the top left, then click “Topics & Tags.” Choose “CPE Credit – Educators.” Credits will be tracked using the ATPE Professional Learning Portal. For more information, please contact prof_dev@atpe.org. 

HD 56: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has set Nov. 5 as the date for the special election to fill the unexpired seat of Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson (R–Waco), who announced his resignation last week. The special election date coincides with the general election. Anderson had previously announced his retirement, but he decided to resign his seat in a strategic move that will allow his successor to gain seniority by being sworn in shortly after the election instead of in January.

ATPE: Monday, Aug. 25, is the deadline to apply for service on four 2024-25 ATPE standing committees: Leader Development, Legislative, Membership, and Nomination/Election. All ATPE members are encouraged to apply. Committee meetings are virtual, and committee members not only provide valuable feedback on ATPE initiatives but also play a critical role in ATPE’s governance structure. For instance, the ATPE Legislative Committee reviews and recommends changes to the ATPE Legislative Program, the platform that guides the work of ATPE Governmental Relations in Austin and Washington, D.C. Learn more and find the link to apply in this ATPE blog post. A second application period for additional ATPE standing and special committees will take place in November.