Last week, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD school board approved a resolution “regarding the vital role of educators and staff.” The symbolic resolution requests that Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas lawmakers increase the state’s basic allotment to allow for higher teacher pay and better funded schools.
It was a “public statement to our teachers and other staff about their value,” said board president Randy Schackmann, one the district has wanted to make for some time. And it’s not the only one.
At least two other districts — Mesquite and Mansfield — have passed near-identical resolutions in recent weeks as a new legislative session approaches and brings with it a new fight over school funding.
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The resolution's author, Charles Randklev, is Keller ISD’s school board president. He brought the resolution before his district this spring.
“You know, I’m excited and glad that it was useful for other districts,” Randklev said. “We wanted to communicate very clearly to our educators that we hear you, and we see you, and we're advocating for you.”
The resolution cites the state’s nearly $33 billion budget surplus in the last legislative session, then chastises the governor and lawmakers for failing to pass a budget addressing the unchanged basic school allotment, underfunded safety and security mandates, record inflation, and the need for teacher and staff raises.
Trustees in other north Texas districts, like Benita Reed in Mansfield ISD, passed the same basic resolution to tell lawmakers and constituents they all need funding help.
“Let’s write our local legislators, let’s ask them to fight for us,” Reed urged during a September board meeting, “Let’s ask our parents and students to send letters to the legislators.”
In the fourth and last special legislative session last year, lawmakers withdrew the voucher-like Education Savings Accounts — ESAs — from a comprehensive school funding bill that would’ve otherwise funded what educators and trustees said they wanted. But without ESAs, the bill died. Gov. Greg Abbott had warned that he would not sign an education funding measure without ESAs.
Randklev said he wanted the voucher-like measure voted on separately because he considers it a stand-alone issue.
With his district’s basic allotment of $6,160 per student still stuck and unchanged since 2019, he said Keller’s needs are now greater than ever.
“I’m not sure how much longer district like ours can continue to operate the way that they are and provide the outstanding services and product that we do - the education experience - at 6160,” he said. “I think something’s gonna happen this upcoming biennium.
“It has to.”
Randklev said he knows many school boards share his sentiment, whether they passed a school funding resolution similar to Keller’s or not.
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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