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Ask
anyone in the region what city has one of the
most exceptional educational systems, and they
will most likely answer, “Friendswood.”
For years, our schools have been rated
exemplary by the state of Texas, and our
students have received numerous state and
national awards.
We have graduated thousands of talented
and well-educated students who are making a
positive difference in the world.
Friendswood
Independent School District (FISD), however,
is in dire need of financial assistance.
With continued cuts in state funding,
Friendswood homeowners are now paying 72
percent of the district's operating budget via
their property taxes.
This is well above the state average.
Without additional revenue sources, the
face of education in Friendswood could start
to look very different.
Consider
these facts.
As of the 2004-05 school year, there
are 5,665 children enrolled in FISD.
It costs the district $6,668 per child,
per year to educate these students.
We are growing at a rate of 2.5 percent
annually.
Currently, we are dealing with this
growth effectively and expect to be able to
manage this growth rate for a few more years.
However,
in terms of our staff and operating budget, we
have reached capacity.
Nearly 80 percent of our budget is
allocated for personnel, while the rest covers
utilities, fuel for transportation, property
insurance, instructional supplies, facility
maintenance and more.
We have no control over these
operational costs.
So, when forced to trim our budget, or
attempt to grant our teachers a modest
cost-of-living increase, the only area where
significant savings can occur is in personnel.
Staff budget reductions can often
result in larger class sizes or program
elimination. Some of our administrative
positions have already been cut, and staff
members are being forced to handle additional
responsibilities.
Furthermore,
the state’s financial assistance is based on
property values from the previous year. As
local values rise (via new construction or
value increases of existing property), the
state reduces its contribution to the school
the following year.
Since state funding is one year behind,
it is critical that local values continue to
grow annually to offset the reduction in state
funds. Unfortunately,
that is not always the case.
In fact, this year our local values did
not grow enough to cover the decrease in state
funding and the district had to develop a
budget with less money, while educating more
students.
Some
people think the best solution to our school
district funding challenge is to build more
homes. What
people don’t realize is that the cost to
educate one child in FISD is equal to the
school taxes paid on a $302,000 house.
That’s an expensive home; not
everyone within the city owns such a dwelling.
Currently, we are not building enough
homes each year to sustain what we need to
break even from the state or to cover
inflationary costs.
Our board of trustees made a difficult
decision to institute participation fees this
school year, requiring students to pay between
$100 and $150 to participate in
extra-curricular school activities in lieu of
cutting programs.
If we don’t find a solution to our
financial crisis, the elimination of programs
could result.
So,
is there a solution?
Absolutely -- economic development.
By bringing in one, good-sized
commercial development – such as a grocery
store, office complex or retail
outlet/restaurant – we generate more revenue
than several houses combined.
In addition, that commercial
development adds benefit to our residents’
lives and helps to reduce their property
taxes. Finally,
it doesn’t add children to our existing
district enrollment.
Whereas
the words “economic development” may
arouse fear among residents, I believe all of
Friendswood -- parents, homeowners and
business owners – recognizes the urgency for
well-planned economic development in order to
maintain our community's standard of living.
I often hear parents say they moved to
Friendswood for its school system.
I know that was my reasoning 20 years
ago. The quality of a community's school
system is not only important to parents, but
local business owners know that a strong
school system provides a more qualified pool
of employees.
It’s
time to make a serious change in how we fund
education in Texas, and especially in
Friendswood.
Our community's heritage is one that
has valued education and nurtured our
children.
To preserve that heritage, and keep
FISD as one of the state's premier school
districts, we must take a proactive approach
to designing the future Friendswood.
Economic development is the path to
that future, and one destined to lead us
further down the road to success.
Trish
Hanks has served as superintendent of
Friendswood Independent School District for
three years.
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