Texas Ranks 44th Out Of 50 States In Education Spending Per Pupil

[democracy1st]

A former Lieutenant Governor says Texas needs a better way to fund public schools.

A full-page ad in Saturday's Austin American-Statesman is attention getting. It was created by Raise Your Hand Texas, a non-profit made up of business and community leaders from around the state. The ad goes against cutting public education spending. It ran in a number of Texas newspapers this past weekend.

Former Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff is one of those lending a voice to the organization.

“The legislature needs to recognize the damage that's going to be done here,” Ratliff said.
“You cannot take $1,000 per child out of public education and not have a dramatic negative impact, so we think it's time for the parents of this state to stand up and be heard.”

Ratliff believes a business tax enacted by lawmakers in 2006 is the biggest reason why Texas is facing tough financial times.

“It was supposed to dollar-for-dollar make up for the mandated reduction in property taxes on the local level. The state missed that estimate by $5 billion a year,” Ratliff said. “I think the smart thing to do is to go in to the tax bill that was enacted in 2006 and fix it.”

The Raise Your Hand Texas ad comes when more and more people are taking a stand against school budget cuts. Thousands rallied at the State Capitol a few weeks ago, saying legislators need to find the money to make sure teachers do not lose their jobs, and Texas students get the education they deserve.

Scott McCown with the Center for Public Policy Priorities believes ads like Raise Your Hand Texas' ad will help fuel the outcry against severe cuts in public education and other areas outlined in the Texas House version of the budget.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/A-former-lawmaker-says-no-to-cutting-public-education-118801124.html

[Horse with no Name]

1. When can we ask WHAT the HELL happened to ALL of the lottery money

that was EXCLUSIVELY supposed to go to school funding? Or is that an inconvenient question?

[w8liftinglady]

4. gooood point!...I'm gonna do some research

My partner teaches in DISD. The teachers fund so much of their and their students' supplies...the funding damn sure isn't going there.

[Horse with no Name]

10. Bush croneys stole it. Harriett Miers covered it up.

Lots of good info out there.

Point it...it NEVER went to education.

Not to mention--the tobacco settlement that Bushco's DOJ LOWERED that was supposed to go to healthcare for Texans.

Don't get me started....

[Peregrine]

6. Lottery for Ed has always been a scam

The money from the lottery goes to education, but at the same time the state legislature de-obligates appropriated education funds for the same amount. It then goes into the general fund. So there is no net gain in funding.

[doc03]

2. That explains a lot of things about Texas n/t

[Brigid]

3. You beat me to it.

Yes, it does explain a lot.

[KamaAina]

5. California is now down to 47th

You read that correctly. 47th.

The no-tax-pledge repukes are hell-bent on turning us into Texas with lower humidity. :eyes:

[HockeyMom]

8. Florida is 48th

and our jail bird Governor said he wants to remodel the state after TEXAS. Geriatric version of Texas?

[GSLevel9]

7. does anyone know what rank Texas is in test scores nationally?

want to compare to the other states.

[Siouxmealso]

9. I wonder which state is number 1 in spending per pupil

and if there's a correlation with student performance.

[jmowreader]

11. It could be worse...

You could live in Idaho, which is at the bottom of the barrel.