Politics influence time, threat of school closures in Lubbock, state

We all know shady characters in gangster movies who say, “Nice place you’ve got here. It would be a shame if something happened to him.”

We accept it when we see it on screen because it advances the plot. But when it happens in real life and our children’s education is at risk, we owe it to our children to fight back.

As a legislator, I am honored to support the families who send their children to public schools and the teachers who have dedicated their lives to educating them. This includes striving for the right balance in school funding and accountability of administrators who sign the checks. This also includes insight into the school’s finances, which is why I was frustrated to recently learn about Lubbock ISD’s unexpected shortfall and their seemingly hasty proposal to deal with the problem.

A review of headlines in other Texas cities shows that school boards across the state (and country) are talking about closing schools. Some districts started this conversation months ago with a sober tone based on the numbers. Others apparently timed their announcements to coincide with early voting to create outrage that could influence individual ballot choices.

That said, I don’t doubt that LISD has a budget shortfall. College enrollment is declining due to changing population density. This matters because Texas relies on children in schools for funding, not the buildings themselves.

As LISD shrinks, surrounding districts grow in enrollment and funding. At the same time, LISD is subject to $3.6 million in reimbursement from Medicaid because the federal government receives almost as enthusiastically as it gives. Additionally, LISD (like all of us) has to pay much more for goods and services than in previous years due to rampant inflation.

In the spirit of the progressive left refusing to let this crisis go to waste, many are stirring the pot with political statements about school finances and school choice, urging parents to vote for Democrats based on false concerns about school finances. By choosing this route, these vocal supporters are obfuscating the truth about what actually happened during the last legislative session.

Last year, as I worked with other legislators to increase funding for our schools and allow school choice (without taking any money from local districts), a gang of education associations (like the Texas Association of School Boards “TASB” and the Texas Association of School Administrators “TASA) ”) and their lobbyists (paid for by your taxes) have attacked us with wave after wave of opposition. This powerful gang is used to getting their way and has had far too much influence over Texas education policy for decades.

Unfortunately for Texas families, this gang consistently puts the interests of its adult members ahead of school-age children.

This occurred during the fourth special session called by Governor Greg Abbott. During it, we debated House Bill 1, which I supported (you can read it yourself at Texas Legislature Online – 88(4)).

HB1 not only provided LISD with an additional $8,571,531 for the 2024-2025 school year, but also appropriated an additional $20,193,919 for the 2025-2026 school year and set that amount as the starting point for any future budget. Parents, students and their teachers would be delighted to know that the bill also eliminated the STAAR test.

While the school choice debate has been controversial, HB1’s approach was truly sound: It proposed education savings accounts that would enable parents of Texas’ most vulnerable students to find the best educational environment for their child. She did this by adding new money to the system, so that not a penny was lost from the district’s budget. Pretty good, right?

HB 1 would have significantly increased funding for LISD and all school districts statewide, but a gang of education lobbyists did everything they could to kill it. Does it bother you that your taxes have been used to lobby AGAINST this bill and the additional school funding that comes with it?

Leaving aside any concerns about student success, the fraternity gang and their lobbyists have allowed fear of competition and the liability that comes with it to drive their aggressive opposition to HB1. With this bill now lying in the legislative graveyard, taxpayer-funded lobbyists stop spending their ill-gotten gains while the districts that employed them struggle to make ends meet (or so they say). As a proud parent of children in Lubbock ISD schools, I understand that some consolidation may be necessary due to the continued decline in student enrollment (down 17% since 2017). But threatening to close high-performing, high-quality schools that actually attract families to the district will only exacerbate the problem of declining student enrollment. If you care about your children and their friends at school, I hope you will share your concerns with the other school board members elected to represent you. It is the community’s job to push back against the mob-movie intimidation of a gang of education lobbyists so that we can find sound solutions to finances and school choice next session. Our children deserve nothing less.

(Country. Representative Dustin BurrowsR-Lubbock, has represented the 83rd House District since 2015. He is chairman of the House Calendar Committee).

This article originally appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Opinion: Burrows: Timely policy, threat of school closures