Texas public schools continue to make do with less. The basic allotment — the amount of money the state provides school districts for each student enrolled — hasn’t increased since 2019. Meanwhile, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, we’ve experienced almost 25% inflation in five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
It’s one of the reasons school districts all over the state are running deficit budgets and why my school district is asking voters to approve an increase in the tax rate — plus three separate bond issues — on Nov. 5.
My family moved to Frisco specifically for the schools and the promise of small campuses. That was back in 2002, when there was one high school. Today there are 12. My children, now 23 and 19, attended Frisco schools for 13 years. I taught in the district for 11 years. I remain committed to the district as a homeowner, neighbor and volunteer.
I’m voting yes for the proposals.
Based on the current taxable valuation of my home, if the tax increase passes, I will pay an additional $106.42 in property taxes each year. That’s less than $9 each month to help pay for nominal cost-of-living raises for teachers. By voting for the three bond proposals, I’m supporting improvements for all 77 campuses in the district, including a much-needed replacement for Staley Middle School, security and technology upgrades, a new tennis center and more.
This isn’t a rubber-stamp approval. I’ve visited with current educators, with people who served on the committee that pieced together the proposals, and with the co-chairs of the political action committee for the election. I’ve read district financial reports and credit analyses. I do have concerns about the district’s debt per capita, but I’m also impressed with how this district responded to unprecedented growth — 15,000 students were added between 2012 and 2017. I know firsthand the challenges of teaching when a bond election fails (2016) and the relief when a bond election passes (2018).
I am convinced that educating students is one of the most important investments a community can make, and that public education is a responsibility we all share.
There are line items in the proposals that I’m not wild about, but I didn’t serve on the committee that spent 10 months visiting campuses and conducting research, meeting and deliberating. I trust the process, which required that proposals earn 80% of the votes to make the list.
There’s been a troubling shift across the country in the past few years, a hostile and largely unjustified distrust of public education that targets librarians and teachers, principals and administrators. Our own governor continues to campaign for vouchers that will take money out of the public school system, using his clout to unseat incumbents who voted against his school choice proposal.
No system is perfect, but I believe in public schools and the educators who work with children regardless of their background, income level, race, religion or abilities. Have you watched a kindergarten teacher in action lately? Listened to a sixth-grade band concert? Attended a science fair? These are everyday miracles that hold our communities together. There is a cost to keep those teachers in place and to maintain safe and efficient campuses. I challenge those who complain or who are complacent to invest time, if not money, into their community’s public schools.
What does that look like? Ask leaders at a school near you. Maybe they need volunteer help with carpool duty or book fair or concessions at football games. Maybe they’re looking for partnerships with neighborhood businesses to fund instructional materials and programs that no longer fit in the campus budget. You can join a campus PTA, attend a high school musical, root for a scrappy volleyball team or buy lunch from culinary arts students.
There are all kinds of ways to invest, and I hope that my neighbors vote to keep investing in Frisco ISD and its more than 65,000 students.
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