TASB 2010-12 Advocacy Agenda Resolutions

As Amended October 1, 2011

SCHOOL FINANCE

TASB shall oppose budget cuts in areas of education, where the need to prepare and educate students is constant and carries dire consequences for the State of Texas if education is underfunded.

TASB shall oppose the use of federal stimulus funds in lieu of state revenues if the state falls short of being able to provide sufficient revenues to districts to fund educational reforms and meet rising cost pressures.

TASB shall oppose any measure that shall limit a district’s ability to maintain a healthy fund balance or dictate its use from the state level.

TASB shall support increased appropriations to fund school districts with decreasing enrollments to the 98th percentile of their previous year Average Daily Attendance.

TASB shall support increasing the yield of Tier 2 taxes above the first six pennies.

TASB shall support measures that include additional and alternative sources of funding that ease districts’ over-reliance on property taxes.

TASB shall support the elimination of the Public Education Grant (PEG) program.

TASB shall support maintenance of funding for the District Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE) grant so that the progress and results achieved by teachers can continue to be rewarded as they reach their objectives.

TASB shall support legislation that provides state financial assistance to school districts required to make Social Security Contributions on behalf of their employees.

TASB shall support a weighted funding formula for students attending public school districts who are currently residing in group homes or who have recently been dismissed from group homes or the Texas Youth Commission.

TASB shall support ensuring adequate funding to support the delivery of accelerated instruction to all students who need to master the state curriculum.

TASB shall support legislation that permits school districts to hold an authorization election rather than a rollback election to obtain voter approval for future assessment of the remaining maintenance and operations pennies authorized by law.

TASB shall oppose legislation to remove the guarantee of repayment should the state use the proration mechanism to cut district funding entitlements.*

TASB shall support legislation that provides average daily attendance (ADA) funding for students based on completion of a foundation curriculum course provided by a district through its own computer-based virtual instruction.*

TASB shall support legislation and/or constitutional amendment which provides for the distribution of the corpus of the Permanent School Fund (when it exceeds $20 billion) to each school district on a pro-rata basis over three years.*

TASB shall support the inclusion of 92% of Texas public school students in an equalized funding system.*

TASB shall support legislation that provides funding for Fast Growth Adjustment (FGA).*

TASB shall oppose increasing standards on any accountability system without corresponding increases in funding.*

TRANSPORTATION, UTILITIES AND FACILITIES

TASB shall support legislation that increases the state transportation allotment and provides transportation allotment funding to all districts regardless of local property wealth.

TASB shall support allowing the transportation allotment to be used for public schools of choice.

TASB shall support legislation that clarifies that districts will receive state transportation funding for students who attend a magnet school within their own districts and for students who live more than two miles from the school.

TASB shall support legislation that codifies a modified transportation allotment schedule such that it rolls up the lowest four groupings into the third grouping and it recognizes all buses used on an approved route.

TASB shall support legislation that would amend the Texas Government Code to authorize school districts to impose construction residential impact fees on residential developers.

TASB shall support legislation that amends the Texas Utilities Code statutes 58.258 and 59.077 to extend the telecommunication services discount to schools until January 1, 2020.

TASB shall support legislation that provides incentives to school districts to lower energy consumption.

TASB shall support the elimination of seasonal (ratchet) demand charges as imposed by Transmission and Distribution Service Providers (TDSPs) and reduction of the demand charges imposed by TDSPs on public school districts.

TASB shall support legislation treating water district, water control improvement districts (WCID), and municipality utility districts (MUD) tap/connection fees imposed on new school district buildings equally as impact fees charged by municipalities on new school district buildings.

TASB shall support efforts to modify the 50-cent I&S tax rate cap within Chapter 45 of the Texas Education Code to allow districts to issue tax-supported, school district bonds for less than 40 years in order to reduce interest payments and save taxpayers money.

TASB shall support legislation that would increase and guarantee equalized facilities funding for both the Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) and Existing Debt Allotment (EDA).*

TASB shall support legislation to restore the New Instructional Facilities Allotment (NIFA) at $250 per average daily attendance.*

INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT ISSUES

TASB shall support the advocacy and dissemination of information to increase the participation and completion rates of all student populations in Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit courses.

TASB shall support the equitable and consistent enforcement of discipline for all students.

The state-mandated end-of-course exam shall be waived upon successful completion of a local district-approved dual credit course.

TASB shall support funding for districts serving currently eligible students in full-day prekindergarten programs.

TASB opposes funding cuts for educational programs that affect early childhood development and college readiness preparation.

TASB shall support legislation or a change in State Board of Education rules that changes the graduation requirements of the Recommended High School Program (RHSP) so that students no longer have to complete physics before enrolling in other approved science courses.

TASB shall support legislation to increase state technology funding to provide districts with necessary resources for on-line testing and virtual courses, as well as distance learning program equipment, and staff training.

TASB shall strongly support a curriculum standards revision, development, and adoption process by the State Board of Education that is absent of political or ideological influence whether it be liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican.

TASB shall strongly support legislation or administrative rules and regulations regarding a balanced curriculum that ensures an equal and quality education for all students, absent partisan influence or bias.

TASB shall support increased funding for the implementation of programs in public schools that identify and provide interventions and curricular opportunities for at-risk students beginning in prekindergarten to decrease dropout rates.

TASB shall oppose a specific state certification requirement for prekindergarten that would be paid for by assessing a per student fee at the local district’s expense.*

TASB shall support the coordination of high school curriculum with higher education in order to decrease the need for student remediation courses upon entrance into institutions of higher education.*

TASB shall support legislation to give all districts the resources necessary to vertically align their elementary, middle and high school curricula to prepare all students to succeed.*

LOCAL GOVERNANCE

TASB shall oppose any new infringements upon local control that may be proposed.

TASB shall support local control of the school calendar by repealing the statute that mandates a uniform school start date or, at a minimum, reinstituting the waiver process.

TASB shall support legislation that simplifies the required truth-in-taxation notice and allows the required truth in taxation notice to be disseminated by electronic media in lieu of print media.

TASB shall support legislation that clearly defines under what circumstances a school district can terminate a term contract employee for the use of physical force on a student.

TASB shall oppose any legislation that removes, omits or hinders a local school board's decision-making authority regarding the reconstitution, closure or alternative management of a school.*

TASB shall oppose legislation that would require school districts to allow open-enrollment charter schools to take over unused or underutilized facilities.*

TASB shall support legislation to allow school districts that have passed a tax rate election to continue taxing at that rate without calling another election in subsequent years.*

TASB shall support less intrusive government by leaving authority and meaningful discretion (other than over arching standards) to the locally elected school board of trustees (not state).*

* Denotes resolutions added during the 2011 Delegate Assembly