Tracking the Public School's Dollar

In a recent article, Mary Ann Whiteker, superintendent of Hudson ISD, shared some insights taken from a study concerning the funding of public schools in Texas. I think she has done a wonderful job in presenting a summary of this information, and I believe that you will get a lot of information from reading part of her article. The following is from an article that was printed in the Lufkin Daily News:

Moak Casey & Associates released their newest version of “Tracking the Education Dollar in Texas Public Schools” on behalf of the Texas Association of School Administrators and Texas Association of School Boards.  Contrary to public school critics, the 2013 school expenditures reflected 60.8% of the $52.4 billion in state funds were spent on direct instruction for the 4.9 million children in Texas Public Schools.

Direct instruction includes teacher salaries and benefits, instructional materials, teacher aides, librarians.  Add another 21.4% for instructional support, which includes principals, counselors, and nurses. Approximately 14.9% of a district’s funds provide transportation, food service, student safety, technology support, building maintenance and upkeep, grounds maintenance, utilities and a vast number of ever increasing state mandates. The remaining 2.9% of a district’s revenue is budgeted for central administration, which includes all central office staff, legal services, audit and accounting services and the costs of tax appraisal and collections. 

Every school district must account for expenditures using codes that allow for extensive analysis of what is purchased, how it will be used and the source of revenue for the expenditure.  The budget process and expenditures are subject to in-depth audits annually to insure compliance with all state and federal guidelines.

“Tracking the Education Dollar” features the “average” cost for a typical student per day with incremental costs equaling $1.00

Bus ride to school                                                                $.03
Clean and well maintained building                                     $.09
Heat / Cooling                                                                      $.03
Security / Health services                                                    $.02
Classroom teacher                                                              $.49
Instructional aides/instructional supplies                             $.09
Curriculum, professional training, instructional leadership  $.03
Lunch in cafeteria                                                                $.01
Counseling and guidance assistance                                  $.04
Well run campus with instructional support services           $.06
District support structures to insure effective operations     $.03
Bus ride home or extra-curricular activities                          $.03

Although there may be some slight variances from district-to-district, overall, this is how the education dollar is spent in Texas public schools. This is contrary to what many would have you believe. I think it is important to arm you with the facts.

Ready for the Best Year Ever!

I hope this find you all rested and excited for a new year! We are looking forward to the best year ever at Harleton ISD! Please, remember that students will report to school on August 25. Students will also have an Early Release on that day. We are attempting to ease the transition for students from their summer schedules to that of the school routine.

Football practice has begun, and we have scrimmages and games about to start. The cheerleaders at the high school and jr. high have been practicing and are getting ready to cheer on our teams.

You may notice that we have a new website for the district. We hope that you will take the time to look through the website and let us know if there are items you would like to see added. We are attempting to provide as much communication as possible with you so that we can keep you informed. Don't forget to like us on Facebook, as well.

Thank you for letting us be a part of your child's life. We are honored, and we hope that you will join us as partners in helping all of our children reach their fullest potentials.

2013-2014 School Year Coming to an End

Well, the school year is coming to a close, and we are getting ready to graduate the class of 2014. This is especially significant for me because I will be graduating my oldest child this year. I, like many of you, am extremely proud but a little sad at the same time.

We have had a great year, and I, along with the other administrators, will be busy working to plan for the new year during the summer months. We have had many successes during this year, and I am very happy with the performance of our students in the many varied activities. We have a great school and a great group of students. I thank you for allowing us to be a part of their lives. I am humbled and proud to have been a small part of their education.

I hope you will all have a great summer. Get some rest and relax some because we will have a busy year ahead of us.

April 2014

I can't believe that it's already April. This year has flown by! It's seems that the older I get, the faster the time goes.

April brings with it a lot of activity at the district. We have baseball, softball, track, tennis, golf, UIL Academics, and testing taking place during this month. Students, parents, and school employees are extremely busy during this time, and we have to remember to take time to relax. Easter holiday is this month, and, since we didn't have to take a Bad Weather Day, we will have a school holiday on Good Friday. Hopefully, you will be able to spend some time with family and loved ones. Remember, school will have an Early Release on April 17, as well.

Have a great month! We appreciate being a part of your student's lives.

HB5 and Graduation Requirements

During the 83rd Legislature, school leaders and congress came together to create a bill that would recognize the individual needs of students. This collaboration led to the passage of House Bill 5, which was a sweeping educational reform bill. This bill not only allowed local districts more flexibility in providing courses for students based upon need, but it also reduced the number of End-of-course exams that students must take and pass in order to graduate High School.

HB5 further eliminates the minimum, recommended, and distinguished graduation plans that are currently in place and has created a single Foundation graduation pathway. It further allows students to pursue their interests by creating opportunities for students to earn endorsements in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); business and industry; public services; arts and humanities; and multidisciplinary studies. HB5 also creates a distinguished achievement level above the endorsement programs that students can opt to complete.

The State Board of Education (SBOE) has just adopted the rules and requirements for these new graduation requirements, and we will be receiving further information in the coming weeks. I will be charging the campuses with providing information concerning HB5 to our parents, students, and community members.

I believe this will be a good thing for the students of Harleton ISD. It will provide us the ability to meet more student needs and help our students prepare for success in whatever path they choose to pursue after graduation.

TASA Mid-winter Conference

I've just returned from the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) conference in Austin. There's a lot taking place in the state, and I would like for you to know about a couple of the items that are on the educational radar. It's important for you to stay abreast of the topics and issues that are being discussed in our state concerning public education.

One of the major issues that's being discussed is the course requirements for HB5. The State Board of Education is discussing these requirements as I write this, and we are supposed to be given final decisions by the 31st. Hopefully, we will receive the requirements at that time and can work to get courses in place and ready to schedule students for 2014-2015. The graduation requirements for students have changed significantly, I believe, for the better. We are now able to allow students to pursue their interests and have more flexibility in meeting the needs of every student.

The other issue that is currently being discussed by those in Austin is the rehearing of the School Finance litigation. Last year, the State's school funding system was declared unconstitutional. The judge in that case called the parties back together to hear the issue again after the 83rd Legislative session. Once the testimony has been heard, the judge will rule on this issue. If successful, it is assumed that the state will appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court. This is an important issue for all schools and school children in Texas. Will the state provide equitable funding for all students regardless of their zip code?

Have a Great 2014!

Welcome to 2014! I'm looking forward to a great year! I wish the best for you and yours as we begin this new year. May you receive the richest of blessings.

With the new year always comes a time to take stock of our lives. We should take a moment to reflect upon the past year and remember both the good and bad. What did we learn from our experiences during the past year? What blessings did we receive, and what hurdles did we have to cross?

As we begin this new year at Harleton ISD, we are working hard to prepare for the changes that will come with the HB5 graduation plan. We will be working closely with the parents and students to keep you informed of the changes that have come about due to this new legislation. I believe it is going to help us provide more opportunities for our students, but it is going to require that we do things a little differently than we have in the past. I don't think we will see radical changes, but we will have more flexibility to meet the individual needs of all students. We will be giving you information as we learn more.

As always, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children's lives. We look forward to a great 2014!