GUEST COLUMN: Education funding remains an issue

AUSTIN When the gavel fell on the 82nd Legislative Session in Texas, legislators had made some tough decisions. But they did not leave education behind. They made clear that education was a priority by funding public schools with $3 billion more for the next biennium than in the current budget.

Education spending makes up 57 percent of the general revenue funds, proving that education is important to our state leaders and that priorities get the lion’s share of the funding.

This wasn’t easy to do, considering that the federal stimulus spending put around $3.2 billion more in the Texas school system this biennium. Those were one-time dollars, and although schools were advised not to use the money for recurring expenses, many didn’t heed the warning.

Legislative leaders vowed not to raise taxes or to deplete the state’s rainy day fund. In the meantime, many of the more than 150 education lobbyists and numerous superintendents advocated depleting the state’s savings account and putting all of the money toward increased education spending.

Texans have been generous in funding public education. Funding has grown five times faster than student enrollment in the last 10 years.

From the 1998-99 school year to the 2008-09 school year, elementary and secondary education spending increased 95.3 percent, going from $28 billion to $54.7 billion. Enrollment growth is partly responsible for the increase, but during this time enrollment only grew by about 20 percent. That means spending grew almost five times faster than enrollment! As a result, per pupil spending increased by 63 percent over the last decade, up to $22,567 for the 2008-09 school year. If enrollment isn’t driving spending growth, then what is?

According to the Texas Comptroller, 59.4 percent of state education spending goes to salaries, wages and benefits for employees. In the last decade, salaries, wages and benefits grew 80 percent, four times the growth in enrollment.

Capital costs increased 130 percent while nonpayroll operating costs increased 195 percent. This rapid growth, well in excess of enrollment, is taking more and more funds out of Texans’ wallets and out of classrooms.

Unfortunately, teachers aren’t the beneficiaries of much of the higher payroll costs. The average teacher’s salary in Texas is $48,440. Other professionals in the school districts make an average of $8,392 more than teachers, and teachers earn $22,399 less than the average campus administrator.

More than 200 superintendents earn more than the governor of the Great State of Texas!
This salary disparity provides a disincentive for teachers to stay in the classroom. We should herald the day when the best teacher earns at least as much as the most mediocre administrator.

On average, only 48 percent of school district education dollars are used on instruction. That equates to less than 50 cents out of each education dollar actually going to the classroom.

These funding allocations within school districts are made by the local school districts and school board members — they are not mandated by the Texas legislature. And school districts across the state are at least $103 billion in debt, much of that taxpayer-approved, and the bulk of it for facilities. Not all of the bond money is for educational facilities.

One school district — tiny Texhoma ISD — passed a bond initiative (by a vote of 75 to 31) for $105 million to build six homes to attract more students to the district so they could get more state funding.

If that is an example of how education funding is used, local school districts need a reality check, and voters need to wake up!

Next time you hear someone say “the legislature under-funded public schools,” remember that funding actually increased and that the way funds are spent is determined by local school district officials.

While the state continues to increase school district funding, more of the available education spending needs to be focused on the classroom and on improving student performance.

Peggy Venable is the state director for Americans for Prosperity. AFP is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity.