On the heels of last week’s Texas Supreme Court ruling declaring the state’s school finance system flawed, but constitutional, Houston ISD trustees met Thursday to discuss options for complying with the system’s requirement that HISD pay the state $162 million using local tax revenues.
Category Archives: Budget
HISD Board of Education adopts school funding formula
The HISD Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a school funding proposal that aims to minimize the impact of looming budget cuts on classrooms.
HISD must send a projected $165 million in local property tax dollars to the state because the Texas school finance systems considers the district wealthy. Nearly 80 percent of HISD students come from low-income households. The projected deficit was previously $107 million, but rising property values have reduced that amount to $95 million.
Preliminary budget plan aims to better serve students in hyper-poverty schools
HISD schools with the highest concentrations of students living in poverty would receive a larger share of district funding under a proposal brought forward Thursday by Interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt.
HISD Board of Education to consider plan detailing distribution of funds to schools for 2016-2017
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education is expected to vote Thursday on a plan detailing how funding will be distributed to campuses across the district for the 2016-2017 school year.
The plan is outlined in the district’s annual Resource Allocation Handbook, which campus administrators use to develop their budgets for the coming school year. It calls for a reconfiguration of district funding methods to ensure the neediest students still receive appropriate resources despite budget cuts resulting from the state’s funding formula. Continue reading
HISD proposes funding reconfiguration to ensure neediest students get resources amid budget cuts
District facing $107 million shortfall as it prepares to send millions of tax dollars back to the state
Facing a $107 million shortfall for the 2016-2017 school year, the Houston Independent School District is proposing a reconfiguration of district funding methods to ensure the neediest students still receive appropriate resources.
The budget cuts are a result of the state’s funding formula, which requires HISD to send millions of local tax dollars back to the state — a process that is known as recapture and affects districts designated as property-wealthy. Though nearly 80 percent of HISD students come from low-income families, the district is considered property-wealthy because of rising property values throughout the city. Continue reading
HISD facing $107 million budget shortfall under current public school funding structure
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Under Texas’ current funding structure, the Houston Independent School District will be required to send millions of dollars back to the state, resulting in a projected $107 million budget shortfall for the 2016-2017 school year.
Under Chapter 41 of the Texas Education Code, the state school finance system requires districts designated as property-wealthy to send tax dollars back to the state — a process known as “recapture” and commonly referred to as Robin Hood. The money is then re-distributed to districts deemed to be property-poor, as well as to the state’s general fund for use in non-education purposes.
HISD construction projects moving forward
All but one project expected to be under construction contract by the end of 2016.
Houston Independent School District construction projects are continuing to move forward with Sharpstown High School slated to soon become the 16th bond project with active construction underway.
The HISD Board of Education voted Thursday to hire a new contractor for Sharpstown, unanimously agreeing to let district administrators negotiate and finalize a construction contract worth up to $46 million with ICI Construction.
HISD homeowners won’t see increase in property tax rates for 2015-2016
Homeowners in the Houston Independent School District won’t see an increase in property tax rates for the 2015-2016 school year.
The Board of Education voted Thursday to maintain the current tax rate of $1.1967 per $100 taxable value. That rate includes two parts: $1.0267 dedicated to funding general maintenance and operations and 17 cents earmarked for debt service.
HISD recommending no increase in property tax rates for 2015-2016
Homeowners in the Houston Independent School District won’t see an increase in property tax rates for the 2015-2016 school year under a proposal being submitted Thursday to the Board of Education.
District administrators are asking trustees to maintain the current tax rate of $1.1967 per $100 taxable value. That rate includes two parts: $1.0267 dedicated to funding general maintenance and operations and 17 cents earmarked for debt service. Continue reading
Texas legislative session yields victories for public education
The Texas Legislature convened from January to June of 2015. More than 100 bills passed related to public education.
According to Government Relations Director Ashlea Graves, one of the biggest victories for HISD was the passage of Senate Bill 1004, which gives all school districts in Harris County the ability to work with the four community college systems operating inside its boundaries: Houston Community College, Lone Star, San Jacinto, and Lee.