[00:00:01]
[Call to Order]
MORNING, EVERYONE.I AM COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER, AND I'M GOING TO BE CHAIRING THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD THIS MORNING.
UM, IT IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH AT 11:36 AM WE ARE JOINED THIS MORNING AND I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THE MEMBERSHIP, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF NEW MEMBERS AND I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE WHO'S NEW, BUT ALSO JUST LET EVERYONE KNOW WHO'S HERE, UM, IN PERSON ON THE DIAS AND WHO'S, UM, VIRTUAL.
SO THIS IS A BODY THAT IS MADE UP OF THE THREE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
UM, AND FOR THE COUNTY, FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS, BRIDGET SHAY, AND COMMISSIONERS JEFF TRILLIAN, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE BODY.
UM, AND WE HAVE POLAR SANCHEZ, THE HHS COUNTY EXECUTIVE WHO'S HERE WITH US, UM, AS EXO OFFICIO FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I'M A CONTINUING MEMBER OF THIS BODY AND I'M JOINED BY MY NEW COLLEAGUES, JOSE VELAZQUEZ, WHO'S HERE IN PERSON.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, WHO IS ON, UH, THE VIRTUAL DIAS.
AND WE HAVE ACM, STEPHANIE HAYDEN, HOWARD, UH, LAURA PATINO, AND ROSIE TRULA, WHO ARE HERE WITH US.
UM, TODAY FOR OUR MEETING, UM, FOR A I S D.
UM, WE HAVE AS MEMBERS OF THE BODY TRUSTEE ART SINGH AND TRUSTEE OPHELIA SEPATA, I BELIEVE THAT TRUSTEE ALITA LUGO WILL BE JOINING US, UM, IN A LITTLE BIT.
WE ARE ALSO JOINED BY TRUSTEE, UM, LYNN BOSWELL, WHO I THINK CHAIRS AIS D'S INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORK.
AND GIVEN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, WE INVITED HER, UM, TO JOIN US AS WELL.
UM, AND WE HAVE, UM, AVA EDNA, AND WE HAVE, UM, JACOB REACH AND EDDO RAMOS, UH, KATRINA MONTGOMERY, AND JEREMY STIFLER HERE AS WELL.
UM, SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING US.
UM, WHEN WE, RIGHT BEFORE WE STARTED, WE DID NOT HAVE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE PUSH THESE TO START? YEAH.
UH, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR, UH, COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.
CHUCK BROTHERTON, HE'S ALSO HERE.
IS ERIC CARTER ALSO HERE AS WELL? CHUCK ERIC IS HERE.
AND HE'S THE COUNTY'S EMERGENCY, UM, UH, MANAGEMENT, UM, EXECUTIVE.
I HAVE THEM DOWN AS PRESENTER, SO I WAS GONNA INTRODUCE THEM.
THEY PRESENTED, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ALWAYS, ALWAYS HERE.
UM, GENERALLY, GENERALLY WITH US.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES MAKE THIS, UM, WHOLE BODY WORK IS THE INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR STAFF.
UM, SO FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
[II. Approval of Minutes]
FROM SEPTEMBER 12TH.I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES.
SECOND, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER TRILLIAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SHEA.
THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH THOSE VOTING, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER, WE CAN'T SEE, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HIM AS NOT VOTING, UM, ON THAT ITEM.
[III. Briefings]
FIRST BRIEFING THIS MORNING, AND I'VE GOT TOO MANY PAPERS HERE, IS GONNA BE THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FROM A I S D AND SPEAKING FOR THAT WE HAVE, UM, MS. EDNA BUTTS.SORRY, THAT'S GOT THE WRONG INFORMATION HERE.
SO, MEMBERS OF THE, UH, JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE, IT'S MY HONOR TO, UH, PRESENT BEFORE YOU TODAY ON THE AISD LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND WHAT WE SEE THAT IS, UH, OCCURRING AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS THAT, UH, WHEN THE, I'M TRYING TO SEE, OKAY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW AS, AS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS, UH, THE LEGISLATURE IS, UH, LOOKING AT A 33 BILLION SURPLUS.
THAT IS THE, UH, HIGHEST SURPLUS THAT THEY HAVE, UH, SEEN, UH, AS THEY, UH, BEGIN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT 22, 23 COMPARED TO THE 24 25 BY ENUM, YOU SEE THAT BIG JUMP.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM, UH, TO ACCOMPLISH SEVERAL OF THEIR GOALS, AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THE PROCESS AS THEY BEGIN, UH, WITH THEIR CONVERSATIONS.SO THEY HAVE, UH, PROPOSED TWO BASE BUDGET BILLS, UH, FOR, UH, THAT INCLUDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS.
UH, THERE'S, UH, WRITER 82 ON THE HOUSE SIDE AND WRITER 82 ON THE, UH, SENATE SIDE, UH, SPECIFICALLY WRITER 82 FOR THE HOUSE, UH, SIDE OF THE LEGISLATIVE, UH, AREA, UH, INCLUDES TEACHER COMPENSATION.
SO THEY REALLY WANNA LOOK AT HOW CAN WE AS A STATE, UH, LOOK AT INCREASING TEACHER COMPENSATION.
UH, ALSO, UH, AN INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IS BEING LOOKED AT UNDER THIS WRITER, UH, SCHOOL SAFETY, UH, THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ALLOTMENT, WHICH BASICALLY FUNDS TECHNOLOGY AND TEXTBOOKS IN, IN THE, IN, UH, THE DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, THE SENATE VERSION, UH, DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY, UH, UH, INCLUDE MANY OF THE, UH, AREAS THAT THE HOUSE IS INCLUDING.
UH, THE SENATE VERSION, UH, BASICALLY ADDRESSES TEACHER COMPENSATION.
BOTH OF THOSE RIDERS DON'T SPECIFY AN AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
AND SO, UH, WE DO KNOW THAT, UH, BY INCLUDING, UH, SOME OF THE GOALS IN, UH, THESE RIDERS, THEY ARE COMMITTED TO LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE, UH, CONVERSATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE, UH, AGAIN, TEACHER COMPENSATION AND, UH, POTENTIALLY AN INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
THEY HAVE ALSO ASSIGNED LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES.
THOSE ARE FINAL, UH, THE HOUSE PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE, UH, HAS BEEN ASSIGNED.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO AUSTIN AREA MEMBERS, REPRESENTATIVE GINA ENOSA, AND REPRESENTATIVE JAMES TALLARICO, UH, FROM THE AREA, UH, REPRESENTING, UH, THE HOUSE PUBLIC ED COMMITTEE, UH, ON THE SENATE SIDE.
THEY HAVE ALSO FINALIZED, UH, THOSE SENATORS.
AND YOU SEE THAT LIST BEFORE YOU, ONE OF THE MAIN FINANCIAL PRIORITIES, UH, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR AUSTIN, I S D IS OF COURSE, UH, OUR, UH, UH, RECAPTURE, RECAPTURE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, UH, IN THE DISTRICT FOR MANY YEARS.
AND SO OUR, OUR BELIEF IS THAT MOST, THE MOST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION, UH, TO SCHOOL FUNDING WILL BEGIN WITH AN INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
THE REASON THAT WE REALLY PRIORITIZE THAT AS A DISTRICT IS BECAUSE IT, UH, REALLY HELPS DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO ANYTIME, UH, THERE'S AN INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, IT NOT ONLY REDUCES THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE TO PAY INTO THE RECAPTURE SYSTEM, BUT IT ALSO INCREASES FUNDING, UH, FOR OUR, UH, POOR, UH, POORER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND SO THAT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS AS A STATE, UH, WE ARE IN THE LOWER, UH, UH, BOTTOM 10, UH, STATES THAT FUND EDUCATION NATIONALLY.
SO THAT TRANSLATES TO, UH, $4,000 LESS PER STUDENT COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
WE FUND, UH, OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM, UH, ON A $4,000 PER STUDENT, LESS AMOUNT THAN, UH, WHAT WE SEE THROUGHOUT THE STATE OR THROUGHOUT THE NATION.
AND AGAIN, RECAPTURE, UH, IS A CHALLENGE.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, UH, FOR, UH, REDUCING OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT.
UH, AS A DISTRICT, WE REALLY, UH, FOCUS ON, UH, THE, THE PRIORITIES THAT RECAPTURE, UH, BRINGS TO THE STATE.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO REALIZE, AND, AND, AND WE, UH, NOTE THAT IT IS NOT A FAIR SYSTEM.
WHEN IT WAS FIRST IMPLEMENTED, UH, IT REALLY LOOKED AT COMMUNITIES THAT HAD HIGH PERSONAL WEALTH.
UH, NOW MANY DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, INCLUDING MANY OF, UH, SURROUNDING SUBURBS AROUND THE URBAN AREAS, UH, ARE NOW PAYING INTO THE RECAPTURE SYSTEM.
AND SO IT'S AFFECTING MANY DISTRICTS THAT HAVE A HIGH ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED POPULATION.
AUSTIN IS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE AT 51% ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, UH, AND WE ARE PROJECTING TO SEND OVER 800 HUNDRED 86 MILLION BACK TO THE STATE, WHICH IS ENOUGH TO FUND ANOTHER.
IF I COULD FOR ONE, ONE SECOND.
UM, HOW DO WE CAPTURE OR DEMONSTRATE THE CONCEPT THAT, UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TITLE ONE SCHOOLS HERE, AND WHILE WE DO HAVE SOME AREAS WHERE THE HOMES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE MM-HMM.
DO, HOW DO WE MAKE THE CASE? SO, YEAH.
SO THERE ARE, UM, DATA POINTS THAT WE COLLECT AS DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, UH, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDING.
UH, TITLE ONE FUNDING, UH, IS ALLOCATED TO DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT, UH, THE NATION.
AND SO WE CAPTURE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, UH, THAT LIVE IN OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, THAT ARE, UH, LIVING IN A, UH, POOR, UH, WEALTH, UH, TYPE AREAS.
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SO, AS A DISTRICT, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, OVER 80 CAMPUSES THAT ARE BASICALLY AT THAT TITLE ONE STATUS.AND SO WE DO RECEIVE AN ESTIMATED $18 MILLION TO ASSIST US, UH, TO, UH, HELP THESE CAMPUSES.
UH, HOWEVER, WE ALSO KNOW THAT, THAT THAT DOES NOT COMPLETE WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO AS A DISTRICT.
SO, THE, THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RECAPTURE AND WHAT THE STATE CAN DO, I, IS REALLY LOOK AT THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, WHAT THE STATE FUNDS, UH, EVERY STUDENT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO THE LAST TIME THE STATE LOOKED AT AND INCREASED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, UH, WAS BACK IN, UH, 2019, THE 2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND THAT IS WHEN THEY PASSED HOUSE BILL THREE AND HOUSE BILL THREE, UH, GAVE AN INFLUX OF, UH, FUNDS, UH, INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT TO 6,160.
AND SO THAT WAS, UH, UH, NEW MONEY FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
HOWEVER, WITH HOUSE BILL THREE, IT BASICALLY LEFT FUNDING FLAT.
AND SO FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THE THE 61 60 THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN THE SAME NUMBER THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED, UH, ON FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT INFLATION HAS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
AND SO INFLATION HAS ACTUALLY GROWN, UH, 14.5%.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU FACTOR IN INFLATION, UH, TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2019, UH, THE STATE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE INCREASED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT BY $900, UH, JUST TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION.
AND SO YOU SEE, THAT WOULD, UH, EQUATE TO A 7,060, UH, BASIC ALLOTMENT, UH, PER STUDENT, WHICH WOULD COST THE STATE AN ESTIMATED 13 BILLION.
AND SO THAT IS, UH, WHAT THE STATE IS LOOKING AT.
UH, IF THEY WERE TO INCREASE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, UH, THEY HAVE DISCUSSED THAT.
AND SO THAT NUMBER CAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 100, UH, TO OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER STUDENT.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, REMAIN TO BE HAD, UH, YESTERDAY THE GOVERNOR ACTUALLY SAID, UH, THAT THE PER STUDENT FUNDING IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT STATEMENT, YOU, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THAT DID NOT INCLUDE THE INFLATION FACTOR IN THERE.
AND SO WHEN YOU INCLUDE IN INFLATION IN THE FUNDING ON A PER STUDENT BASIS, YEAR OVER YEAR, UH, WE KNOW THAT, UH, OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, UH, EDUCATION FUNDING IN TEXAS HAS ACTUALLY DECREASED ONCE YOU CALCULATE, UH, THE INFLATION FACTOR IN THERE.
SO THIS CHART IS REALLY JUST THE COST OF WHAT EACH INCREMENTAL INCREASE IN THE BASE OF THE LAW WOULD, WOULD COST THE STATE COST? YES.
IF IT'S NOT IN HISTORY NO, NO, NO.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF IF THE STATE WERE TO INCREASE INCREMENTALLY, WHAT WOULD IT COST THE STATE? YES.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT PROPERTY VALUES, UH, HAVE GROWN EXPONENTIALLY STATEWIDE.
AND SO WHAT WHAT HAS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THAT IS MORE OF THE FUNDING FOR EDUCATION, UH, IS OCCURRING, UH, BY LOCAL TAXPAYERS.
SO LOCAL TAXPAYERS ARE FOOTING MORE OF THE EDUCATION FUNDING BILL, UH, THAT, UH, ALSO CAUSES THE STATE TO REDUCE THEIR SHARE.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE STATE, UH, REDUCES THEIR SHARE AND MOVES THOSE FUNDS TO ANOTHER AREA OF THE GENERAL BUDGET, SO THAT, THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THIS SLIDE BASICALLY SHOWS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN WITH RECAPTURE PAYMENTS, UH, AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND SO RECAPTURE PAYMENTS HAVE, UH, ULTIMATELY REACHED OVER 3 BILLION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, WE ARE ESTIMATING, AND THIS IS AN ESTIMATE FROM, UH, SBO, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS.
UH, THEY ARE ESTIMATING THAT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS FROM 23 ALL THE WAY THROUGH 2025, THAT, UH, NUMBER WILL JUMP TO 5 BILLION.
AND SO, WHEN, AGAIN, WHEN THE STATE COLLECTS ADDITIONAL RECAPTURE DOLLARS AND WHAT THEY ESTIMATED, UH, WHAT ENDS UP OCCURRING IS IT REDUCES, UH, THE AMOUNT THAT THE STATE CONTRIBUTES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THOSE, UH, GENERAL FUND DOLLARS ARE THEN MOVED, UH, TO OTHER NEEDS OF THE STATE.
UH, BUT THE FUNDING ON A PER STUDENT BASIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE DOES NOT INCREASE, EVEN THOUGH, UH, RECAPTURE PAYMENTS INCREASE, UH, AS PROPERTY VALUES INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO THE FUNDING ON A PER STUDENT BASIS STAYS THE SAME.
SO PROPERTY POOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO NOT BENEFIT FROM, UH, ANY INCREASES IN RECAPTURE PAYMENTS.
ED, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, THESE GRAPHS? YEAH.
SO IT'S A BIG JUMP IN 2023, AND THAT'S JUST CAUSE YOUR MICROPHONE.
IF YOU WANNA USE THE MICROPHONE, YOU NEED TO PUSH IT ON AND THE LIGHT WILL GO ON WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE ALIVE, THE BIG IS THE BIG JUMP IN 2023, JUST BECAUSE THE APPRAISED VALUE OF REAL ESTATE HAS, UH, INCREASED SO DRAMATICALLY.
THE BIGGEST FACTOR IS THAT THE PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES AS A STATE.
AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS ALL MONEY THAT'S COMING FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES, NOT
[00:15:01]
FROM THE STATE.AND IS IT, I'VE HEARD IT SAID, AND I JUST WANNA, UH, MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IT FACTUALLY.
I'VE HEARD IT SAID THAT AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE MONEY THAT'S TAKEN FROM, UM, PROPERTY TAXPAYERS HERE IN A I S D IS THE SECOND LARGEST SOURCE STATEWIDE FOR ALL SCHOOL FUNDING BEHIND THE STATE.
SO WE'RE EFFECTIVELY, OUR RESIDENTS ARE EFFECTIVELY FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I THINK THE POOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS NEED HELP.
IS THAT, BUT IS THAT ACCURATE? IT IS ACCURATE AS, AND AS FAR AS RECAPTURE PAIN DISTRICTS, WE ARE THE TOP PAIN RECAPTURE DISTRICTS.
YOU ADD THE NEXT FOUR, UH, ADD WHAT THEY PAY AND RECAPTURE, AND IT STILL DOES NOT TOTAL WHAT AUSTIN I S D IS SENDING BACK TO THE STATE.
UH, YOU'LL SEE LATER ON THAT WE'RE PROJECTING TO SEND OVER A BILLION DOLLARS NEXT YEAR, UH, BACK TO THE STATE.
SO IT CONTINUES TO POSE A CHALLENGE TO OUR DISTRICT AND OUR BUDGET.
AND, AND MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING ON THIS PANEL, HAVE SAID THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IS FOR THE STATE TO PAY ITS FAIR SHARE OF SCHOOL PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING, WHICH IS IN THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION, CORRECT? NOT TAX.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, YOU ALSO SEE AN ESTIMATE FROM THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION, UH, WHICH REPRESENTS RECAPTURE DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, THEY ALSO ESTIMATE A 4.96 BILLION RECAPTURE PAYMENT, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THE, THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE, UH, FROM THIS GRAPH IS WHEN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, WHEN THE ORIGINAL RECAPTURE PROGRAM BEGAN BACK IN 1994, THERE WERE ONLY 34 DISTRICTS THAT PAID INTO THE RECAPTURE SYSTEM.
UH, YOU FAST FORWARD TO CURRENT, UH, 2023, AND THEY ARE ESTIMATING 160 DISTRICTS PAYING INTO THE RECAPTURE SYSTEM.
UH, IN THE NEWS, YOU'VE, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD LOCAL, UH, SUBURBAN DISTRICTS THAT ARE LOOKING AT, UH, REDUCING THEIR BUDGETS, CLOSING SCHOOLS.
UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS FOR THAT IS THAT THAT, UH, SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND US ARE ENTERING THE RECAPTURE PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE FACED IN AUSTIN, I S D, YOU NOW HAVE SOME OF THE SURROUNDING S NOT ONLY IN THE AUSTIN AREA, BUT THE DALLAS AND HOUSTON AREA FACING THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING FOR YEARS.
AND THIS SLIDE JUST BASICALLY SHOWS THE, UH, THE 4.9 BILLION ESTIMATE, UH, FROM THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION.
THEY DO HAVE A WEBSITE TO RECAPTURE TEXAS.ORG THAT GIVES A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON RECAPTURE, UH, AND, AND WHAT'S REALLY OCCURRING, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO HOW DOES THE RECAPTURE SYSTEM TRANSLATE TO AUSTIN ISD? HOW DOES, HOW DOES THE SYSTEM AFFECT US AS A DISTRICT? AND SO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AS A $1 BILL, UH, WE ARE NOW ESTIMATING THAT WE WILL SEND THE STATE THIS YEAR $887 MILLION.
AND SO THAT LEAVES US WITH $806 MILLION TO WORK WITH AS A DISTRICT.
SO OVER 56% OF OUR LOCAL TAX COLLECTIONS, UH, FUNDED BY OUR LOCAL TAXPAYERS, UH, ARE BEING SENT BACK TO THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 806 MILLION THAT WE HAVE REMAINING TO OPERATE THE DISTRICT, 87% OF THAT IS BASICALLY, UH, USED ON TEACHER AND STAFF SALARIES, UH, IN THE DISTRICT.
AND SO THIS SLIDE BASICALLY SHOWS AGAIN, THE HISTORY OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AS A DISTRICT WITH OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT.
UH, BACK IN 2016, UH, WE SENT, UH, 266 MILLION BACK TO THE STATE.
UH, ORIGINALLY WHEN WE ADOPTED OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET, WE HAD ESTIMATED 846 MILLION, UH, TO GO TO THE STATE THIS YEAR, NOW THAT WE HAVE FINAL PROPERTY VALUES, FINAL STUDENT COUNTS, UH, WE KNOW THAT THAT NUMBER HAS INCREASED TO 887 MILLION.
AND THEN NEXT YEAR, BASED ON CURRENT ESTIMATES, WE'RE ESTIMATING TO SEND, UH, OVER A BILLION DOLLARS BACK TO THE STATE PENDING NO CHANGES TO, UH, CURRENT EDUCATION FUNDING.
ONE OF THE, UH, EMERGENCY PRIORITIES THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS ALSO, UH, STATED, UH, LAST NIGHT IS PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
AND SO THEY ARE LOOKING AT, UH, REDUCING PROPERTY TAXES FOR, UH, LOCAL, UH, HOMEOWNERS AND, AND PROPERTY OWNERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT THEY CAN DO THAT.
UH, THEY DO HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS.
UH, THOSE INCLUDE INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
UH, THEY DID INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WITH THE PASSAGE OF HOUSE BILL THREE.
UH, THE EXEMPTION INCREASED FROM 25,000 TO 40,000.
THE, THE NUMBER THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW IS INCREASING THAT FURTHER TO 70,000.
SO THAT WOULD, UH, REDUCE A, UH, HOMEOWNER'S TAXES.
THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT APPRAISAL REFORM AND THEN LIMITS ON APPRAISAL GROWTH.
SO CURRENTLY THERE IS A LIMIT ON THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT.
A A HOME CAN BE TAXED, UH, WITH A 10%
[00:20:01]
GROWTH IS A LIMIT.SO IF A HOME'S VALUE WERE TO GROW 30%, IT COULD ONLY BE TAXED AT THAT 10%.
SO THEY ARE LOOKING AT A LIMITING THAT EVEN FURTHER.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, ADDITIONAL TAX RATE COMPRESSION.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS BASICALLY IS, UH, WHEN A SCHOOL DISTRICT CALCULATES THE RATE AT WHICH THEIR PROPERTY VALUES GREW, UH, DEPENDING ON THAT PERCENTAGE, WE, UH, WE BY LAW HAVE TO REDUCE OUR TOTAL TAX RATE.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER FORM THAT, UH, THEY CAN REDUCE, UH, TAX RATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT THAT, UH, HAS, UH, CAUSED AS FAR AS THE, UH, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT'S TAX RATE.
SO, UH, STARTING WITH THE 2020 SCHOOL YEAR, THAT WAS A PASSAGE OF HOUSE BILL THREE, UH, WHICH DID INCLUDE PROPERTY TAX RATE COMPRESSION.
AND SO EVERY YEAR, AS OUR PROPERTY VALUES CONTINUE TO GROW, UH, WE HAVE REDUCED OUR OVERALL TOTAL TAX RATE.
AND SO CURRENTLY OUR, OUR TOTAL TAX RATE IS 99.66 CENTS.
UH, WE ARE ESTIMATING THAT TO BE 96.66 CENTS NEXT YEAR.
UH, BUT AGAIN, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE STATE DOES DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UH, THAT COULD REDUCE OUR TOTAL TAX RATE EVEN FURTHER.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS TO NOTE THOUGH, IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE BEEN REDUCING OUR TAX RATE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE PRO THE ACTUAL VALUE OF, UH, UH, PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH IN, IN ANY HOMEOWNER PROBABLY INCREASED, UH, BY A HIGHER PERCENTAGE, EVEN WITH THE 10% CAP.
SO A PROPERTY OWNER MAY STILL SEE A TOTAL TAX INCREASE, UH, JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WITH PROPERTY VALUES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
ANOTHER AREA THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THE EMERGENCY ITEMS THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL BE LOOKING AT IS IMPROVED SCHOOL SAFETY FUNDING.
AND SO THEY ARE TA HAS BEEN, UH, CHARGED WITH LOOKING AT, UH, UH, SCHOOL SAFETY STANDARDS, UH, FOR DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, THEY HAVE SENT OUT SURVEYS, UH, TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS FAR AS WHAT WOULD IT COST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IF YOU WERE TO BRING UP, UH, YOUR FACILITIES UP TO THE CURRENT STANDARDS.
AND SO THAT ESTIMATE HAS REACHED $2.1 BILLION.
SO THAT IS A HIGH, UH, COST FOR DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
RIGHT NOW, THE STATE IS LOOKING AT, UH, APPROPRIATING AN ESTIMATED 600 MILLION, UH, TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
THEY HAVE ALSO HIRED A CHIEF OF SCHOOL SAFETY, WHOSE, UH, DEPARTMENT WILL BE, UH, TASKED WITH OVERSEEING THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE COMPLYING WITH THESE SAFETY STANDARDS.
UH, ONE OF THE, UH, AREAS THAT, UH, WE INCLUDED IN OUR 2022 BOND PROGRAM, UH, WAS TO ADDRESS SCHOOL SAFETY.
AND SO MANY OF OUR, UH, SCHOOLS, UH, ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE A SECURITY FESTIVAL, UH, BY THE TIME OUR BOND PROGRAM IS COMPLETE.
SO WE AS A DISTRICT, UH, RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO IMPROVE SAFETY.
AND SO WE DID INCLUDE BOND DOLLARS TO ADDRESS SAFETY NEEDS IN OUR DISTRICT.
ANOTHER AREA THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED IS AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE VERSUS ENROLLMENT.
AND SO, UH, CURRENTLY AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE ARE FUNDED BASED ON OUR, UH, ATTENDANCE AT ATTENDANCE RATE.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, HOW WE ARE FUNDED AS A STATE, WE'RE ONE OF PROBABLY FOUR, UH, STATES, UH, IN THE US THAT CURRENTLY FUND THEIR, UH, SCHOOL SYSTEMS THIS WAY.
UH, MOST OTHER STATES FUND IT BASED ON AN ENROLLMENT BASIS.
AND SO THE THEORY BEHIND THAT IS WHEN YOU HAVE A CLASSROOM AND A CLASSROOM TEACHER, AND LET'S SAY A TEACHER AID, WHETHER THERE'S, UH, 21 STUDENTS IN THAT CLASSROOM, OR 15 STUDENTS ON ANY GIVEN DAY, THE COST OF THAT TEACHER SALARY IS STILL THE SAME.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE BASED ON HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE PRESENT ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
AND SO, CURRENTLY, UH, UH, THE HOPE WAS THAT THIS YEAR WOULD BE THE FIRST NORMAL YEAR, UH, POST PANDEMIC.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THAT HAS NOT MATERIALIZED, UH, NOT ONLY FOR AUSTIN ISD, BUT FOR DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND SO CURRENTLY OUR AVERAGE, UH, DAILY ATTENDANCE IS 91%, UH, COMPARED TO THE HISTORICAL 96% THAT WE WOULD ACHIEVE, UH, PRE PANDEMIC.
AND SO THAT'S JUST, UH, WHEN STUDENTS BECOME SICK, PARENTS CHOOSE TO KEEP THEM HOME, UH, UNDERSTANDABLY.
AND SO THAT HAS AFFECTED, UH, OUR ATTENDANCE RATE.
AND SO IF WE WERE ACTUALLY FUNDED BASED ON ENROLLMENT, IT WOULD HAVE A SMALLER IMPACT TO OUR BUDGET.
UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE HIRE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TEACHERS, UH, BASED ON HOW, HOW AND WHEN STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL, UH, THAT'S STILL JUST NOT, UH, OR, OR ARE FIXED COSTS ARE, ARE THE SAME WITH REGARDS TO SALARIES.
AND SO ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM IS, WELL, THEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE NOT GONNA PAY ATTENTION TO ATTENDANCE.
AND SO OUR RESPONSE TO THAT IS IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR, OUR STUDENTS TO BE, UH, PRESENT, UH, EVERY DAY.
UH, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO TEACH THEM AND, AND PREPARE THEM FOR, UH, POST, UH, SECONDARY, UH, AND, AND JUST THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
AND SO IT IS, UH, IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS PRESENT ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SO OUR PRE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, YOU KNOW, HOA HAS FILED, UH, HOUSE BILL 31, UH, TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, TO MOVE, UH, OUR SYSTEM TO AN ENROLLMENT BASED SYSTEM.
[00:25:01]
UH, WILL BE, UH, HAPPENING AT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.AND THEN WE ARE, AS A DISTRICT, TRACKING OVER 400 BILLS.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER, UH, EVERY, ALL 400 BILLS TODAY, UH, BUT I WILL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BILLS THAT, UH, REALLY IMPACT FUNDING.
UH, THERE ARE, UH, UH, RECAPTURE, UH, BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, FILED AND THESE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS, UH, DISCOUNTS.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, UH, ARGUMENTS THAT WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE IS IF WE ARE FINANCIALLY, UH, RESPONSIBLE AND WE ARE ABLE TO PAY OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT, UH, EARLY, UH, THEN WE SHOULD RECEIVE A DISCOUNT SIMILAR TO WHAT USED TO BE IN PLACE, UH, MANY YEARS, UH, THROUGH EDUCATION FUNDING.
UH, SOMETIMES, UH, CITIES, WHEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR SALES TAX COLLECTIONS IN EARLY CITIES RECEIVE A DISCOUNT FOR, UH, AGAIN, BEING, UH, FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO ASK FOR A RECAPTURE DISCOUNT.
AND SO, UH, HOUSE BILL 2394 BY GUIAN HAS BEEN, UH, FILED.
IT BASICALLY GIVES A 1.5% DISCOUNT FOR EACH MONTH THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, CAN PAY THEIR RECAPTURE PAYMENT EARLY.
THAT WOULD TRANSLATE TO ABOUT A 9% DISCOUNT.
AND FOR AUSTIN ISD, UH, THAT WOULD BE 80 MILLION THAT WE COULD USE, UH, FOR OUR STAFF AND, AND OUR DISTRICT AND OUR STUDENTS.
UH, HOUSE BILL 2378 BY P PLACEA, UH, OFFERS A 4% RECAPTURE DISCOUNT.
THAT ONE WOULD BE, UH, UH, LESS ATTRACTIVE TO ASSEMBLY, BECAUSE IF WE KEEP OUR RECAPTURE FUNDS IN OUR BANK ACCOUNT, UH, WE CAN EARN FOUR TO 5% INTEREST JUST ON, ON, ON THOSE, UH, FUNDS.
SO IT, IT, IT, IT WOULD NOT BENEFIT US AS MUCH AS THE 9%, UH, FROM, UH, HOUSE BILL 2394.
UH, THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IS ALSO BEING LOOKED AT INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
UH, BOTH HOWARD, UH, AND JOHNSON HAVE FILED THOSE BILLS ON THE HOUSE AND SENATE SIDE, UH, ALSO HOUSE BILL 1107 BY GOODWIN.
UH, THESE BASICALLY, UH, ADDRESS INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY ALSO BUILD AN INFLATION FACTOR IN THAT FORMULA.
AND SO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WITH HOUSE BILL THREE, IT INCREASED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE AN INFLATION FACTOR.
UH, THESE BILLS WOULD, UH, PUT IN PLACE AN INFL INFLATION FACTOR, WHICH AS COSTS GO UP, UH, YEAR BY YEAR AND INFLATION THAT INCREASES, UH, THEN WE WOULD, UH, UH, ALSO ADDRESS, UH, THE, THE INFLATION ISSUES, UH, THROUGH AN INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
UH, ALSO HOUSE BILL 7 16 72, UH, BY JET, AND DOES INCLUDE A BASIC ALLOTMENT INCREASE IN LOOKING AT THE, THE BASE BILL THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY INCREASE OUR FUNDING BY $64 MILLION.
UH, SO WE ARE CLOSELY MONITORING, UH, THESE BILLS.
SEVERAL VOUCHER BILLS HAVE ALSO BEEN, UH, INTRODUCED, UH, HOUSE BILL 5 57 6 19, UH, HOUSE BILL 1892, SENATE BILL 1 76, AND SENATE BILL NINE 60.
AND SO, BASICALLY, UH, AGAIN, UH, PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY ITEMS INCLUDE, UH, VOUCHERS ARE NOW BEING CALLED, UH, EDUCATION FREEDOM, UH, UH, BILLS.
AND SO BASICALLY THOSE INCLUDE, UH, SCHOOL CHOICE, UH, VIA A STATE FUNDING SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
AND SO WE AS A DISTRICT ARE OPPOSED, UH, TO SCHOOL VOUCHER BILLS, UH, MAINLY BECAUSE, UH, THEY DON'T DO WHAT, UH, THEY'RE SET OUT TO DO.
USUALLY, UH, THE CLAIM IS THAT THEY ALLOW STUDENTS TO CHOOSE, UH, DISTRICTS, UH, THROUGHOUT, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
WE DO KNOW BASED ON DATA FROM OTHER STATES THAT HAVE, UH, PASSED THESE TYPE OF BILLS THAT, UH, THEY DO AFFECT, UH, MIDDLE AND LOWER CLASS STUDENTS BECAUSE USUALLY, UH, THESE BILLS DO NOT COVER THE ENTIRE COST OF TUITION.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT EQUITY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE, THAT WOULD AFFECT, UH, HOW, UH, AND WHAT, UH, A STUDENT IS ABLE TO ACHIEVE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
IF THE LIGHT IS ON, THEN IT'S ON, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUSH THE BUTTON.
IT'S THE RED THAT THREW ME OFF.
UM, SO CAN YOU REMIND US, UM, ON THE RECAPTURE PAYMENTS, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SOME FAMILIES, SOME PARENTS SAY, WELL, JUST DON'T PAY IT.
JUST DON'T, JUST DON'T WRITE THE CHECK.
CAN YOU KIND OF REMIND US WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES CURRENTLY, UM, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? SO IF, IF WE DON'T WRITE THE CHECK, UH, WITHIN PROBABLY, UH, FEW WEEKS, THE STATE WOULD FILE, UH, PAPERWORK TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF TAKING OVER THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT, THAT IS NOT AN OPTION THAT WE HAVE IN, IN TEXAS, OUR NEIGHBOR, RIGHT? WE HAVE A, A NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT ATTEMPTED THIS PREVIOUSLY WIMBERLY I S D.
IT DID NOT GO TO GREAT EFFECT FOR THEM, AND THEY ENDED UP HAVING TO MAKE THE PAYMENT.
MADAM CHAIR, DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, INITIAL ESTIMATES OF THE, UH, IMPACT OF THE, UM, IT'S INTERESTING.
[00:30:01]
LANGUAGE OF CHOICE AROUND EDUCATION WHEN THEY DON'T SUPPORT IT IN OTHER REALMS, REALLY IMPORTANT REALMS FOR WOMEN.UM, BUT THERE'S BEEN A, A CONCERTED EFFORT FOR MANY YEARS BY, UM, REALLY IT'S COMING FROM, UM, EXTREME RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES TO TAKE FUNDING AWAY FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND I, I THINK THAT IT NEEDS TO, IT NEEDS TO BE SAID CLEARLY WHAT THE GOAL IS, WHICH IS TO CREATE RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS, UM, AND CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS EXCLUSIVELY.
BUT, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE FOR THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT THIS, THE CHOICE? SO WOULD, SO WE DO KNOW THAT IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY CAUSE AN INCREASE TO RECAPTURE PAYMENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO THIS WOULD BE FURTHER FUNDED, UH, BY THE LOCAL EVEN MORE OF IT.
ALSO, OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE ACCOUNTABILITY WOULD NOT BE THERE BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND, UH, FINANCIALLY.
UH, BECAUSE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS FACE, UH, THESE, UH, PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS DO NOT, UH, FACE THE SAME RULES.
AND THEN THE REPRESENTATION WOULD NOT BE THERE AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE WOULD NOT BE A LOCAL BOARD ELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO REPRESENT THESE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
MR. RAMS WAS THERE MORE TO ONE MORE SLIDE? THERE WAS JUST ONE MORE, UH, WHICH I HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED.
ENROLLMENT VERSUS ADA BY REPRESENTATIVE OSA.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE SETTING UP THIS AGENDA, UH, WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, ABOUT THE PRIORITIES FOR SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR AT, DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AS WE'RE SORT OF AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT.
AND, AND AS THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY SUGGESTED, UM, RECAPTURE AND THE STATE OF SCHOOL FUNDING HAS ENORMOUS IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, IT ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST BROADLY HAS A REALLY BIG IMPACT ON OUR CITY, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER KIND OF SOME OF THESE NUMBERS AND, AND PUT THEM IN CONTEXT.
SO MR. RAMOS HAS ALREADY MENTIONED THAT WE ARE PAYING MORE, UM, IN RECAPTURE THAN WE INVEST IN OUR OWN KIDS HERE IN AUSTIN, IN A I S D.
UM, AND A I S D IS ONLY ONE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, THAT REPRESENT AUSTIN AND WHERE WE ARE PAYING RECAPTURE, UM, IT'S ON THE ORDER OF 887 MILLION THAT WE'RE REQUIRED, UM, TO SEND IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
I WANNA PUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BIT IN CONTEXT.
OUR CITY TAKES IN A BILLION DOLLARS IN PROPERTY TAXES, ROUGHLY SPEAKING, A GOOD CHUNK OF THAT, UM, IS FOR ATTP.
SO 166, UM, 0.5 MILLION OF THAT BILLION, UM, IS GOING TO ATP.
UM, LAST TIME WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, I SAID, WELL, WE ARE SENDING MORE THAN OUR O AND M THAT WE TAKE IN FOR THE CITY, UM, TO THE STATE FOR RECAPTURE.
NOW I CAN SAY THAT WE ARE SENDING MORE THAN OUR O AND M AND OUR DEBT FINANCING FOR THE CITY OVER THE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S 843 MILLION TO COMBINED.
UM, WE ARE SENDING MORE THAN THAT IN RECAPTURE.
YOU COULD FUND THE ENTIRE CITY WITH OUR RECAPTURE, UM, AND WE ARE THE CAPITAL CITY.
UM, THAT MEANS IF OUR, IF OUR TAXPAYERS WERE NOT PAYING THAT MONEY, AND THIS IS A ROUGH ESTIMATE, WHICH INCLUDES THE ATP MONEY AT THIS POINT, AND DOESN'T FACTOR IN THAT WITH DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT ON A ROUGH LEVEL, THE TYPICAL HOMEOWNER'S TAX BILL IS ABOUT $1,700.
THAT'S HOW MUCH THEY'D BE SAVING IF WE WEREN'T SPENDING ON RECAPTURE.
UM, SO I THINK WE HAVE TO REALLY KEEP PERSPECTIVE ON HOW BIG THESE NUMBERS ARE, UM, AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR AFFORDABILITY IN OUR CITY.
JUST LOOKING FROM THE TAXPAYER PERSPECTIVE.
NOW, WE ALSO COULD SAY THAT FIXING RECAPTURE AND INCREASING SCHOOL FUNDING IN PARTICULAR IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE COULD DO FOR AFFORDABILITY AND EQUITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE SPENDING MORE MONEY ON RECAPTURE THAN WE'RE TAKING IN FOR PROPERTY TAXES TO RUN OUR CITY AND HAVE OUR CITY'S DEBT PAID, WE ARE ALSO NOT FUNDING OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AT THE LEVEL THAT WE NEED GIVEN THE NUMBER OF TITLE ONE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE.
SO THIS IS REALLY, REALLY A CRITICAL CONVERSATION FOR THIS BODY TO ELEVATE.
I SUSPECT THAT EVERYBODY HERE AGREES THAT, THAT THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND WE NEED TO INCREASE SCHOOL FUNDING.
UM, BUT PART OF WHAT WE DO IN THIS BODY IS TO ELEVATE THE VOICES AND TO ELEVATE, UM, THE
[00:35:01]
ISSUE.THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THE STATE COULD DO TO HELP US TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY AND EQUITY IN OUR CITY.
UM, AND IT IS OUR HOPE THAT SOME OF THESE BILLS WILL PASS.
UM, WE HAVE TO WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SO I, I JUST REALLY WANTED TO UNDERSCORE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE ARE CRYSTAL, UM, CLEAR ON THAT.
UM, I IMAGINE THAT THERE'S OTHER FOLKS WHO WANT TO MAKE COMMENTS OR TO ASK QUESTIONS, PRESIDENCY.
THANKS, ED, ED, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MAKE REALLY CLEAR THAT, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REDUCING RECAPTURE BASIC, INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IS THE MECHANISM TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND, UM, THE CURRENT BASIC ALLOTMENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS $6,130 PER STUDENT, AS ED MENTIONED, THAT'S, UM, ABOUT 4K BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED OUR ADVOCACY MESSAGE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
PREVIOUSLY, OUR MESSAGE HERE IN A I S D HAS BEEN REDUCED, RECAPTURE.
WELL, THAT DOES NOT RESONATE WITH THE MANY, MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT DON'T PAY IT TO RECAPTURE.
SO THEY'RE NOT ON BOARD, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD NOT GET ON BOARD WITH THAT.
WE'VE SORT OF SHIFTED THAT MESSAGE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF, UM, TRUSTEE BOSWELL, OUR ALLEGED, UM, ADVOCACY CHAIR, UM, TO INCREASE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT RESONATES WITH EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT IS THE TAKE BIG TAKEAWAY, UM, FOR, FOR US, I THINK IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RECAPTURE IS ANYTIME YOU SAY THAT, FINISH THAT SENTENCE BY SAYING, BY INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT WILL ALLOW US TO HIRE TEACHERS THAT CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
UM, WE LOST ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR TEACHERS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS IN A I S D, AND THE WAY WE BRING THEM BACK IS BY PAYING THEM BETTER SO THEY CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT THEY LIVE IN.
UM, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE TRUSTEE BOZEL IF SHE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT.
I APPRECIATE THIS, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR, UM, PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA AND REALLY SHARING OUR WORK IN THIS, UH, AS A COMMUNITY, REALLY DEEPLY APPRECIATED.
AND YES, WE, THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO MANY, MANY ALLIES WHO ARE ALSO FIGHTING THAT FIGHT FOR THE BASIC ALLOTMENT STATEWIDE.
UM, EVERY MAJOR EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION, LOTS OF GROUPS ARE FIGHTING FOR THAT.
AND, AND FIXING REFORM ALONE WILL NOT PUT MORE MONEY INTO OUR SCHOOLS.
SO THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT IS ESSENTIAL.
AND THAT REFORM OF RECAPTURE, BECAUSE, UM, AS THE SLIDE THAT MR. RAMOS SHARED SAID, IT HAS GOTTEN REALLY OUT OF WHACK.
IT IS A NECESSARY SYSTEM THAT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF BALANCE AND BEYOND WHAT WAS INTENDED.
RECAPTURE HAS BECOME THE FOURTH LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE STATE.
UM, AND COMMISSIONER TRILLIAN, UM, TO YOUR ASK RECAPTURE WAS INTENDED TO BE ONLY FOR PROPERTY WEALTHY DISTRICTS, UM, WHICH DON'T ALWAYS HAVE PROPERTY WEALTHY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
AND THERE IS AN INCREASING NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN A SITUATION SIMILAR TO AUSTIN.
WE'RE SEEING RECAPTURE, UM, BOOMING BALLOONING IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE VACATION HEAVY.
UM, PORT ARANSAS, FREDERICKSBURG, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY VACATION HOMES, WEEKEND HOMES THERE THAT ARE DRIVING PROPERTY VALUES UP.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A WEEKEND HOME, YOUR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES WHO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE THE RESTAURANT WORKERS, UM, THE GROUNDSKEEPERS, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE SENDING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL.
AND SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE PAYING IN THE 80% OF THE, THE TAXES THEY COLLECT TO RECAPTURE.
WE ALSO SEE HEAVY RECAPTURE IN, UM, OIL PATCH AREAS AND REFINING AND OIL PRODUCTION AREAS, AGAIN, WHERE THE WEALTH IS NOT STAYING IN THAT COMMUNITY.
THE WEALTH IS NOT OF THAT COMMUNITY.
AND THE STUDENTS WHO GO TO THOSE SCHOOLS, UM, HAVE NEEDS SIMILAR TO, TO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT IS A WINNING STRATEGY THAT WILL REDUCE BOTH, REDUCE OUR RECAPTURE AND INCREASE THE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR OUR SCHOOLS WHILE WE, UH, AND, AND MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SUCCEED STATEWIDE, BECAUSE THERE IS, UM, I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS AS WELL, HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE TO BE IN ROOMS WITH PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE STATE AT, YOU KNOW, A DIVERSITY OF DISTRICTS THAT MATCHES THE DIVERSITY OF OUR STATE, UM, POLITICALLY, ECONOMICALLY, RACIALLY.
AND, UM, THERE IS UNIVERSAL, NEAR UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED MORE MONEY IN OUR SCHOOLS.
SO THAT IS AN ARGUMENT WE CAN ALL GET BEHIND TOGETHER AS WE ALSO WORK ON THAT RECAPTURE REFORM THAT IS IMPACTING OUR AFFORDABILITY, THAT'S IMPACTING NOT ONLY THE AFFORDABILITY OF ALL OF OUR HOUSING, BUT ALSO ALL OF OUR GOODS AND SERVICES.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY, UM, AS TRUSTEES SEEING SAID, THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT PARTNERSHIP ON THIS.
UM, AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN CHAMBER THAT
[00:40:01]
ARE, ARE FIGHTING THIS FIGHT WITH US.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, TRUSTEE BOSWELL, UH, COMMISSIONER SHAY.
UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UH, INVITING TRUSTEE BOSWELL, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR THINKING ON HOW TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE IT'S AN EXCEPTIONALLY CONFUSING SUBJECT.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, RE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE STATE PAYS TOWARD EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN, WHICH IS THE ALLOTMENT, IS A REALLY, IT'S A UNIVERSAL THING THAT MOST PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND.
AND WHAT IS OUR, UH, SURPLUS THIS YEAR? 26 BILLION.
I MEAN, IT'S SOME UNBELIEVABLE NUMBER.
AM I RIGHT? WHAT'S THE NUMBER? 33 BILLION.
I DON'T, I I, UH, I LISTENED SOME TO THE GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE LAST NIGHT.
I DON'T RECALL THAT HE TALKED ABOUT INCREASING THE INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
I THOUGHT HE SAID WE WOULD KEEP, WE WOULD NOT REDUCE THE FUNDING TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE REMEMBER THAT? SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF INVESTING MORE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
IT WAS REALLY JUST THIS VOUCHER PROGRAM, WHICH WILL EFFECTIVELY SIPHON OFF MORE MONEY FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION AND REQUIRE THE RESIDENTS OF A I S D TO PAY EVEN MORE MONEY INTO, UM, INTO THE SYSTEM.
UM, IS THERE, UM, UH, AND, AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE, UH, FORM TO DISCUSS IT, EXCEPT THAT I THINK THERE'S VALUE IN US AS THE THREE MAJOR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES BEING ABLE TO AT LEAST THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE MOST EFFECTIVE AT THE LEGISLATURE.
BUT IS THERE, UH, A STATEWIDE COORDINATED EFFORT TO TRY AND CONVEY THIS MESSAGE EFFECTIVELY AT THE LEGISLATURE? WE'RE NOT THE BEST MESSENGERS FOR IT, BUT TO HEAR THAT THE OIL PATCH IN, IN, YOU KNOW, WEST TEXAS IS BEING HARMED BY, THIS IS A SURPRISE, BUT THEY WOULD ALSO BE VERY WELCOME ALLIES IN THIS.
AND I ASSUME THAT THEY ARE, ARE THEY, ARE THEY ALSO URGING THE SAME INCREASE IN THE, IN THE ALLOTMENT? YES.
THERE'S A GROUP CALLED THE TEXAS SCHOOLS COALITION, WHICH REPRESENTS MOST OF THE DISTRICTS THAT PAY INTO THE RECAPTURE SYSTEM.
THEY'RE WELL ESTABLISHED, HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME, THAT RECAPTURE TEXAS.ORG DATA THAT MR. RAMOS SHARED CAME FROM A WEBSITE THAT THEY CREATE.
THEY HAVE A MASSIVE REPORT, IF YOU WANNA GO REALLY DEEP.
THEY HAVE A MULTI-PAGE REPORT THAT REALLY GOES DEEP.
UM, THAT'S THEIR FIGURE, THAT IT'S THE FOURTH LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE STATE.
AND THEY WORK WITH RECAPTURE DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO CONVEY THAT MESSAGE.
UM, AND THEN WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, SBO, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS, UM, TASB, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, MANY, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, ANY WAY YOU WANNA SLICE OUR SCHOOLS.
THEY'RE FA THERE'S A FAST GROWTH COALITION, THERE'S A SUPERINTENDENT'S ASSOCIATION, THERE ARE OUR TEACHERS UNIONS.
THERE IS A NEAR UNIVERSAL CALL AMONG GROUPS THAT WORK WITH, WITHIN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION, RAISE YOUR HAND TAXES TO INCREASE THAT PER STUDENT FUNDING.
UM, AND THEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE COME AT IT WITH DIFFERENT WAYS.
SOME OF US FOCUS ON RECAPTURE, SOME OF US DON'T, DEPENDING ON OUR SITUATION.
BUT THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT IS A NEAR UNIVERSAL CALL.
UM, AND NOT NECESSARILY HEARD IS THAT, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME IS THAT MESSAGE, UM, SANDWICHED WITH, UH, HAVE THE STATE INCREASE THE ALLOTMENT, THE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND THAT PROVIDES THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF OF, OF ANY MECHANISM THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED THAT'S BEING SHARED WIDELY.
I'M NOT SURE IT'S, IT'S BEING HEARD WHITE.
AND, AND I WOULD JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, ADD THAT, UM, TRUSTEE BASWELL AND I CO-FOUNDED, JUST FUNDED TX, UM, DURING THE 2019, UM, SESSION.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PARENTS AND STUDENTS TO ADVOCATE.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT IS A STATEWIDE CALL FOR INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
I WILL ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE IN A FORUM WITH AUSTIN, SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THE CONTEXT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT AUSTIN IS PAYING AND, AND PUT THAT IN, IN PERSPECTIVE.
BUT AS WE GO AND THINK ABOUT THIS STATEWIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, NO ONE'S SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T FUND OUR STUDENTS.
EVERYONE'S SAYING WE SHOULD FUND ALL OF THE STUDENTS MORE.
AND THAT HAPPENS TO HAVE THE IMPACT OF ADDRESSING, UM, SOME OF THE INEQUITIES OF RECAPTURE.
UM, I THINK PRESIDENT SINGH MENTIONED THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, TEXAS IS 49TH AND PER PUPIL FUNDING 49TH.
YOU KNOW, AND IT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE $4,000 MORE PER STUDENT JUST TO GET UP TO BE AVERAGE.
I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE TEXAN WHO WANTS TO BE AVERAGE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WE, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO JUST TO GET, TO BE AVERAGE.
I THINK IT'S UTAH AND ARIZONA THAT ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO
[00:45:01]
ARE SPENDING LESS PER STUDENT, UM, THAN WE ARE.THAT MEANS ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OTHER STATES, UM, ARE SPENDING MORE.
AND WE HAVE 10% OF THE PUBLIC, UM, ED STUDENTS IN THE COUNTRY.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST A TEXAS ISSUE.
I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS COME OUT IN FAVOR OF INCREASED ALLOTMENT.
UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO, TO SORT OF SEE HOW WE CAN GALVANIZE, UM, SCHOOL BOARDS AND COUNCILS AND CHAMBERS, UM, TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, TO THE NEED THIS SESSION.
UM, SO ANYONE WHO HAS, UM, INTEREST IN THIS, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO THOSE OF US WHO, WHO ARE SPEAKING, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO CONNECT YOU UP WITH FOLKS WHO ARE ADVOCATING COMMISSIONER TRIPOLI AS A PRACTICAL MANAGER, I THINK THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
UH, THERE SEEMS TO ME TO BE NO ONE MORE INTERESTED IN HAVING STUDENTS WHO ARE READY TO WORK THAN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UH, THAT SHOULD BE INTERESTED EVERY DAY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS PRE-K THROUGH 12, SO THAT OUR KIDS ARE READING BY THIRD GRADE, SO THAT THEY'RE PREPARED TO WORK IN INDUSTRY, UM, BY THE 12TH GRADE IN THAT WE FOCUS ON SCHOOL TO WORK.
UM, HAVING BEEN A PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMUNITY FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, AND HAVING WORKED WITH A LOT OF CIVIL RIGHTS COMMUNITIES, THE LEADERSHIP THAT IS IN PLACE IN THE LEGISLATURE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY THAT WAS DONE BY TOM DELAY USING BUSINESS RESOURCES INSTEAD OF POLITICAL, UH, IN PLACE OF POLITICAL RESOURCES, THAT'S HOW THEY HAVE THE MASSIVE MAJORITIES.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU ARE GOING TO, TO, UH, INFLUENCE AND IMPACT THEM IS TO WORK THROUGH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO DO SO.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US CAN GO DOWN THERE AND, AND POUR OUR HEARTS OUT, AND THEY DON'T CARE.
BUT THEY DO CARE ABOUT WHETHER BUSINESSES COME HERE OR NOT.
AND THROUGH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS, WE CAN, UH, WE CAN DEMAND THAT IF THERE ARE TAX ABATEMENTS, THEN WE WILL HIRE LOCAL AS WELL.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE, THE PLACE TO IMPACT THIS IS, IS, UH, WORKING MORE WITH OUR CHAMBER.
I THINK WE ARE DOING A REASONABLY GOOD JOB HERE.
CERTAINLY WE CAN DO MORE, UH, BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS OF THIS.
WHO IS GOING TO BE LISTENED TO, WHO IS NOT GOING TO BE LISTENED TO? CLEARLY LOGIC MEANS NOTHING TO THIS GOVERNOR.
CLEARLY, LOGIC MEANS NOTHING TO THIS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
UH, WHAT HAS TO BE IMPORTANT, IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM, WHETHER YOU LOOK AT IT ON, UH, FROM TODAY'S NUMBERS OR YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE, UH, DURING THE YEARS, THE DECADE BEFORE BROWN VERSUS A BOARD OF EDUCATION, 10 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS SPENT ON WEALTHY CHILDREN THAN POOR CHILDREN IN EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO THERE, THERE IS A QUESTION, QUESTION OF EQUITY.
UH, AUSTIN'S, UH, EVEN EVEN AUSTIN'S, UH, DEALING WITH ITS MINORITY COMMUNITY WAS NOT FAIR IN THOSE DAYS.
AND, AND THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT INEQUITIES THAT WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH NOW, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO THIS THROUGH NORMAL CHANNELS.
WE HAVE TO SIT WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE IN, IN, OF, OF INTEREST TO BOTH OF US, OUR CHILDREN BEING EDUCATED, AND THEIR WORKFORCE BEING AVAILABLE UNLESS WE CAN.
AND, AND UNLESS WE CAN PRACTICALLY APPROACH IT IN THAT WAY, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE GONNA MAKE MU MUCH PROGRESS.
UH, THIS IS A GROUP THAT DOES NOT LISTEN TO KINDNESS AND DECENCY.
THEY ONLY ARE INTERESTED IN THEIR BUSINESS INTERESTS, AND THAT IS THEIR BUSINESS INTEREST.
I, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND OUR, OUR CHAMBER, UM, ARE STRONGLY BEHIND INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON THAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW, HOW WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN BRINGING IN THE REST OF THE STATE TO THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND US.
WE JUST, WE JUST REALLY DO, UM, NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SPEAK TO THE CONCERNS.
UM, RECAPTURE WAS CREATED FOR A REASON, AND THAT REASON STILL EXISTS.
UM, BUT EVERY CHILD REALLY, UM, DESERVES TO HAVE THE INCREASED FUNDING.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? WE HAVE ANOTHER MEATY TOPIC IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TIME, UM, CAN TO COVER THAT.
ARE Y'ALL ABLE TO HEAR ME THERE? WE CAN.
WE CAN'T SEE YOU, BUT WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE ONE QUICK COMMENT, IF I MAY.
THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
SORRY I CAN'T BE THERE OUT ON A FAMILY ISSUE, BUT, UM,
[00:50:01]
THERE ARE TWO QUICK THINGS I WANT TO NOTE.AND ONE IS THAT WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A CONSERVATIVE EFFORT AND TO, THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING RELATED TO PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, AND WHEN THAT OCCURS, THE WAY IT TYPICALLY OCCURS IS A LIE DOWN OF THE CURRENT TAX RATE.
AND THAT SINCE THAT COMPRESSION FLOWS THROUGH SCHOOL TAXES, WHAT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC IS, WELL, IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND 4 BILLION TO CUT TAXES, WE JUST SPENT 4 BILLION ON EDUCATION WHEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS DIDN'T SEE A PENNY OF THAT.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK BACK TO HB THREE, FOR INSTANCE, IN 2019 WHERE ALL THE DISCUSSION WAS ON THE BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WE JUST SPENT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, A MAJORITY OF THAT WAS ACTUALLY JUST SPENT BUYING DOWN PROPERTY TAXES, NOT ACTUALLY, UM, INCREASING MONEY TO SCHOOLS.
SO I JUST WANNA FLAG THAT AS THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES, BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS PUT FORWARD IN TALKING POINTS BY THOSE WHO ARE WORKING ON THESE ISSUES, AND THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY, UM, CLEAR TO PEOPLE HOW MUCH MONEY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO SCHOOLS AND HOW MUCH MONEY IS GOING TO PROPERTY TAXES.
BECAUSE THOSE TWO THINGS WILL BE CONFLATED.
AND, UM, UNLESS OTHERS BREAK IT OUT, THAT WON'T, UM, THAT WON'T BE CLEAR TO PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S JUST LITTLE ITEM NUMBER ONE THAT I WANNA FLAG.
NUMBER TWO IS SOMETHING THAT I HOPE TO WORK WITH ALL OF Y'ALL ON.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS STILL VERY MUCH IN ITS INFANCY, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO REDUCE OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT WOULD BE THROUGH EXERCISING THE LOCAL OPTION HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
NOW THAT COMES WITH MONETARY, UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT A FREE THING, RIGHT? IF, IF A ISD EXERCISED THEIR 20% OPTION, THAT WOULD COME AT A COST, BUT THAT COST WOULD NOT BE, MOST OF THAT COST WOULD BE BORN BY THE STATE.
BECAUSE WE ARE A RECAPTURE DISTRICT, THE ONLY SIDE OF THE, THE LEDGER THAT WE WOULD SEE WOULD BE ON OUR GOLDEN PENNIES.
AND SO IF THERE IS A WAY FOR THIS GROUP TO WORK TOGETHER ON FINDING OUT, YOU KNOW, BEING CLEVER ABOUT HOW WE CAN OFFSET SOME OF THAT, UM, THE, THAT HIT TO THE GOLDEN PENNIES, BUT BENEFIT TO THE TUNE OF OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF RECAPTURE SAVINGS, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO WORK ON WITH Y'ALL.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO DIVE DEEPER IN.
UM, BUT I'M JUST KINDA, I WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE AS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I AM TRYING TO, TO LOOK AT AND SEE IF WE CAN'T ACCOMPLISH.
COUNCIL, MOTHER RYAN ALTER, UH, PRESENTING WHAT YOU YEAH, NO, I APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT AND I WOULD DEFINITELY BE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THAT FURTHER, UM, WITH OUR CFO F AT SOME POINT.
AND, AND WE'VE ALREADY SPOKEN, UH, RYAN AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BO TRUST YOU BOSS.
UM, I HAVE SOME DATA FROM RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS.
IN RESPONSE TO COMMISSIONER SHAY'S QUESTION ABOUT THE COST OF A VOUCHER PROGRAM.
AND RAISE YOUR HAND IS OFFERING AN ESTIMATE OF ABOUT 10 BILLION IF A UNIVERSAL, UM, A UNIVERSAL MODEL IS ADOPTED.
UM, TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS, YOU CAN FACTOR IN CHARTERS, YOU CAN FACTOR IN HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS.
SO THE NUMBER IS, IS, UM, ELASTIC DEPENDING ON WHO YOU'RE FACTORING IN.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT ABOUT $10,000 PER STUDENT, UM, LEAVING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND GOING, CUZ THE BASIC ALLOTMENT WE GET, WE GET MORE THAN THAT PER STUDENT BECAUSE WE FACTOR IT'S WEIGHTED.
UM, BUT WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT $10,000 PER STUDENT.
AND RIGHT NOW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEY'RE ABOUT 300,000 PRIVATE SCH PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
SO EVEN IF IT ONLY WENT TO CURRENT PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND DIDN'T INCREASE THAT POOL AND DIDN'T GO TO ANYONE IN HOMESCHOOL, THE THE PRICE TAG WOULD BE VERY, VERY LARGE.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING BACK AT, UM, ED'S PRESENTATION IS THE CURRENT ALLOTMENT ROUGHLY ABOUT 6,000 PER STUDENT IN TEXAS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE WAITING, IT GETS CLOSER TO THAT $10,000 NUMBER, WHICH IS STILL ABOUT $4,000 LESS THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
ONCE YOU, WE HAVE WEIGHTS FOR DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING, AND I REALIZE THIS IS JUST SUCH AN UNBELIEVABLY, BUT, UH, WOULD THEY EFFECTIVELY BE PROVIDING MORE MONEY
[00:55:01]
PER PUPIL THROUGH THE VOUCHER PROGRAM THAN THEY ARE CURRENTLY FOR, UH, THE, THE, THE AMOUNT THEY PAY PER, PER PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS? THAT'S A CALCULATION THAT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT WOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.CHARTERS RIGHT NOW RECEIVE MORE PER PUPIL THAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THAT'S A CALCULATION THAT FOR PRIVATE WOULD BE SIMILAR.
YOU WOULD TAKE THE MONEY ALLOCATED TO YOUR STUDENT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL AND TAKE IT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
SOME PROPOSALS ALSO WOULD PROPOSE GIVING THAT TO FAMILIES WHO HOMESCHOOL.
UM, BUT THERE ARE ABOUT 300,000 PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE STATE.
SO EVEN IF IT DIDN'T EXPAND THAT POPULATION AT $10,000 A STUDENT, IT'S A A VERY LARGE AMOUNT.
AND IF, IF YOU LOOK AT EXPANDING THAT NUMBER OR ADDING IN HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS, IT, IT GROWS VERY, VERY RAPIDLY.
AND PEOPLE REALLY DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS A LONG-TERM EFFORT, UM, BY, BY A GROUP OF, I'LL JUST CALL THEM RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS TO UNDERCUT FUNDING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
THIS IS WELL-DOCUMENTED AND TO, UM, BASICALLY HAVE THE PUBLIC FUND CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS.
AND THAT IS NOT, THAT IS NOT HEALTHY FOR OUR SOCIETY.
AND IT WAS NOT WHAT WAS INTENDED IN, IN THE CONSTITUTION, THE FOUNDING OF THE COUNTRY.
SO IT'S A REALLY PROFOUNDLY DANGEROUS TREND ON SO MANY LEVELS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND I WOULD ADD IT'S ALSO A MOVE TOWARD PRIVATIZING EDUCATION IN THE SAME WAY UTILITIES, PRISONS, HEALTHCARE HAS BEEN PRIVATIZED IN MANY WAYS, AND THAT'S THE COMPANION TO THAT.
UM, EVEN FOR NON-RELIGION, A TREND TOWARD PRIVATIZATION YEAH.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US HERE BELIEVE IN PUBLIC SYSTEMS. YES.
AND THE POWER OF REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY VOICE IN THAT WAY.
SO, UM, IF ANYONE YOU KNOW ON THIS COMMITTEE OR WATCHING, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO BE INVOLVED, UM, IN THESE EFFORTS ADVOCATING, UM, TRUSTEE BOSWELL IS CHAIRING THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE FOR A I S D.
UM, PLEASE BE IN TOUCH WITH HER OR YOU CAN BE IN TOUCH WITH, WITH MY OFFICE.
WE CAN, WE CAN HOOK YOU UP WITH BEING ENGAGED.
AND IF YOU'RE ON THIS COMMITTEE AND YOU WANT, UM, TO BE INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, ANY ONE OF US CAN, CAN HELP YOU.
UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, ON ONE HAND A SCHOOL ISSUE, BUT IT REALLY IMPACTS OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTY IN ENORMOUS UM, WAYS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
UH, THANK YOU MR. RAMOS FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THANK YOU TRUSTEE BOSWELL FOR, FOR BEING WITH US.
UM, WE'RE NOW GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT BRIEFING, WHICH IS THE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UPDATE.
WE'RE GONNA BE JOINED BY ROSIE TRULOVE.
AND I DO WANNA JUST PREFACE THIS, THAT THIS IS NOT MEANT TO COVER EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN A S D COULD BE DOING AND THINKING ABOUT WITH RESPECT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, WE HAVE JUST PASSED A REALLY LARGE BOND.
WE HAVE JUST BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING, UM, THE 2018 BOND AS THE CITY.
UM, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YOU ALL ON THAT.
THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTING, UM, THE NEW BOND FOR COORDINATION.
BUT THAT STARTS WITH MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING DECISIONS IN EACH OF THESE BODIES ARE A LITTLE BIT AWARE OF WHAT EACH OTHER IS DOING.
IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS COMMITTEE, UM, OR YOU'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE AND THIS IS ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES, UM, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU REF YOU REFER TO YOUR, UM, STAFF LIAISON AND THEY CAN GET YOU COPIES OF PRIOR, UM, PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD RELATED TO DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WE CAN THINK THROUGH, UM, AS A BODY, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE PARTICULAR THINGS WE WANNA WORK ON, IF WE WANT TO HAVE A WORK IN GRADE, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS TO, TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD, UM, AND BE, UM, MORE COLLABORATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BROADLY THINK ABOUT.
BUT SINCE WE DIDN'T MEET IN DECEMBER, WE HAVE A COUPLE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET IN, GET IN, UM, TODAY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD INVITE, UH, MS. TRULOVE TO START HER PRESENTATION.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.