Plano school officials ready to promote ?myth busters? on school ...

Plano school trustees were beyond frustrated over the Texas? school finance system at last night?s meeting even though a judge ruled in favor of Plano and other school districts in court this week.

Plano ISD state funding presentation

Plano ISD state funding presentation

Adding fuel to their anger was a recent assertion by Gov. Rick Perry that school funding had increased by about 70 percent in the last decade. Trustee David Stolle called that borderline malpractice.

?He?s espousing myth after myth trying to make it true and showing nothing but hostility to education in the last decade,? Stolle said.

Plano?s chief financial officer Steven Fortenberry said that in any scenario one looks at school finance, any nominal increases in recent years have been more than offset by student growth, inflation and mandated property tax relief. In fact, the state?s share has actually decreased by about a third in the last 10 years when adjusted for those factors, Fortenberry?s report showed.

Schools faced $5.4 billion in state cuts over the last two years. Some legislative leaders and Perry have persistently said districts have adequate funding to provide quality education.

Then this week a state judge ruled that Texas school finance system was inadequate and inequitable. But Plano superintendent Richard Matkin said he wasn?t optimistic that the Legislature would make any significant changes to help districts any time soon even with an expected multibillion-dollar surplus. The court ruling is expected to be appealed by the state.

Plano ISD per student funding changes (Plano ISD)

Matkin said the surplus ?could go a long way to restoring funding. It?s all about sides now. ? It?s a shame we have to go through the court system to get it.?

At Tuesday?s meeting, Plano trustees discussed having meetings to educate the community about school finance and academic issues important during this legislative session or sharing weekly ?myth busters.? Stolle and other trustees encouraged parents and others to contact legislators to spur some kind of change in funding.

Source: http://planoblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/plano-school-officials-ready-to-promote-myth-busters-on-school-finance.html/

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