Expert: Major Tax Increase Needed To Fund Texas Schools

Jon Boyes, Getty ImagesThey?re laying the groundwork in Austin for you to pay far more in taxes to support the state?s schools.

A school finance expert told the ongoing trial over funding public education that the state?s schools need ?at least? $8 billion more a year to ?ensure its students meet tough new academic standards.?

Lynn Moak of Moak, Casey and Associates, which bills itself as ?school finance and accountability experts? testified that the Texas school system entered the 2012-2013 school year with 25,000 fewer teachers and staffers, while Texas schools added 46,000 new students.

The trial is a combination of six lawsuits challenging all facets of the way the state?s education is funded. It includes not only property poor school districts which are demanding a bigger chunk of the property tax pie, but wealthy districts which are opposing the current ?Robin Hood? school funding system, and advocates of charter schools which want the entire system scrapped and ?vouchers? available for parents to send their kids to private schools.

Moak testified that ?nearly half? of Texas 9th graders are now not on track to graduate, because they failed at least one of the state?s new, more rigorous, standardized tests.

Opponents say if there is any correlation between throwing money at public schools and increased student performance, they?d like to see evidence of it.

Also being questioned at the trial are wide differences in spending between schools within school districts, and the amount of money spent for non instructional activities, like sports and administrators, at public school campuses.

Don?t expect a ruling right away. The trial is expected to last until January.

Source: http://myktem.com/expert-major-tax-increase-needed-to-fund-texas-schools/

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