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

• House Public Education Committee to meet next week, discuss interim charges
• Study released from Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research shows majority of Texas schools are underfunded
• Texas school districts face uncertainty as ESSER funding expires
• Listen to the latest episode of The ATPE Podcast: The State of Education Policy
• Tax-Free Weekend is here; ends midnight Sunday, Aug. 11

HOUSE PUBLIC EDUCATION: The House Public Education Committee will hold interim hearings Aug. 12 and 13, 2024. Topics of discussion include the monitoring and oversight of new legislation regarding instructional materials, the Rural Pathway Excellence Partners (R-PEP) program, and middle school advanced math; increasing "educational opportunity" (i.e., vouchers); the increase of uncertified teachers in Texas; and improving early literacy and numeracy opportunities for PK-3 students. ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave outlines the agenda in this blog post.  

If you wish to submit public comments to the House Public Education Committee on any of the items on the two-day agenda, follow this link: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c400. Once there, you must complete the attestation statement, provide your contact information, and choose the item on which you wish to comment. You must fill out one comment form for each item on which you intend to comment. Learn how to use the comment system in this ATPE tutorial. 

KINDER INSTITUTE STUDY: Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research released a report Monday examining the relationship between funding gaps and student performance. The study found that over 73% of Texas school districts are underfunded and concludes that these funding gaps must be addressed in order to see achievement scores rise. 

The study also pointed out that today’s funding is the equivalent of 2014 funding numbers due to variables such as inflation and recapture, as well as legislative inaction since the passage of HB 3 in 2019 to keep funding at the same or higher levels. 

Despite a historic budget surplus in 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) insisted on tying public school funding increases to private school voucher legislation. Because a voucher bill did not pass during the last legislative session, districts across the state have been passing deficit budgets to address the lack of funding. Tricia Cave has more in this blog post. 

ESSER FUNDING: The more than $19 billion Texas schools received in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds over the last four years will expire on Sept. 30, with a few exceptions. Congress established the ESSER program in 2020 to temporarily boost school funding in order to help schools address the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

District leaders say the federal pandemic relief helped their districts stay afloat in the absence of new funding from the state. As noted above, Gov. Abbott has vowed to withhold public school funding increases until voucher legislation is passed. 

ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter told The Texas Tribune that the uncertainty around state funding for public schools has created a situation where school districts are spending more time worrying about their financial sustainability and less about what’s best for students. ATPE State Vice President Jerrica Liggins was also interviewed for the article. 

Read more on The Texas Tribune. 

THE ATPE PODCAST: In the latest episode of The ATPE Podcast, ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter covers the public education issues that have recently been overshadowed by vouchers and shares how we can impact Texas public education policy beyond just the threat of vouchers. Check out the podcast here.

TAX-FREE WEEKEND: The annual tax-free weekend in Texas runs from Friday, Aug. 9, through midnight Sunday, Aug. 11. Items that qualify for no sales tax this weekend include clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks. Read more on the ATPE Blog.