On Monday, the HISD Board will be voting whether or not to have a public workshop comparing centralized and decentralized models.

Ask the HISD Board to vote yes to a public workshop on Monday

A public workshop will help our school-based officials and constituents understand more clearly how the proposed budget will improve equitable funding in our highest need schools.

What are the options on the table, and how will they affect each campus? What are the goals of an FTE (centralized) model vs. the current (PUA) model vs. a hybrid of the two? How does each model affect equity?

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Here are some questions and comments to ask your board members.

1. Will a centralized model increase weights (beyond state minimums) for groups like the homeless, the economically disadvantaged and at risk students so there are safeguards to ensure that students in high need schools maintain reasonable class size? Right now the weight for homeless students is only 5% while the GT weight is much higher at 12%. Whether the district implements a PUA (decentralized), FTE (centralized) or hybrid model, we need funding weights for the highest need students -homeless, Sp Ed, economically disadvantaged, and at risk students- to be increased.
2. What does it mean when HISD says that their new budget cuts are “after FTE changes”? Given the limited publicly available information, this language is confusing and ambiguous. On Thursday, Feb. 22, HISD CFO announced that the district’s budget cuts have been reapportioned across the system, and school-based cuts have been reduced and “department” budget cuts have been increased. Classroom cuts were $98 million (almost half) in the administration’s original proposal and are now 45 million to schools (22%) and 163.8 million (78%) to HISD Central Office Departments.
3. Children are living under the burden of so many previous cuts. No child should have to experience further cuts to their schools. But our schools and children who have the highest need, whose PTOs are not able to supplement school funding, require the most protection.  Has HISD completed a thorough analysis of the impact of centralized vs decentralized funding on our highest need students? If so, HISD should share this information in a public workshop. If not, then do so at the public workshop. Vote yes for a substantive public workshop.�
4. We demand that the HISD Admin and Board continue to look for all ways that we put dollars back into our classrooms and schools. Our children need supplies, wraparound services, and small class size and less SSOs and district chiefs.
5. Ask the HISD Board to vote for a temporary one year tax increase to help our kids. This year, due to Harvey, the HISD Board is authorized by state law to vote for a temporary tax increase to help our schools without the expense of putting the vote on a ballot. Our children need better funded schools now.

A public workshop will give all stakeholders-community members, HISD personnel, HISD Board members a chance to weigh in and share useful insights to increase equitable funding for our highest need students.

Ask the HISD Board to vote yes to a public workshop when they meet on Monday.

Email the HISD Board and the Superintendent today! There is a vote on Monday.

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By telephone

Board Services 713-556-6121

Constituent Services 713-556-6111