SCHOOL FINANCE
Klein ISD supports legislation that establishes a simple, equitable state finance system that provides adequate resources to Texas public schools and considers changes in student demographics, inflation, technology, and safety, as well as full funding for any new requirements (no unfunded mandates).
- Support increasing state funding formulas and updating outdated elements such as the basic allotment, special population weights, and the cost of education index.
- Support including an index for inflation in the school finance system that provides a mechanism for funding that is at least parallel to increasing inflationary and cost pressures.
- Support increasing funding to support the updated safety and security efforts in schools, including additional mental health specialists and physical space improvements.
- Support funding based on enrollment, student need, and credit completion versus time in the seat.
- Support funding above the current per-pupil allocation for students placed in residential treatment centers.
- If uniform election dates are required for future school district elections, then
- Support legislation that would expedite the release of the preliminary tax roll sooner to allow for a possible tax ratification election on the uniform date in May.
- Support legislation that would be an authorization for tax rate the following years (versus adopting a set rate).
ACCOUNTABILITY
The current A-F accountability system is not research-based, does not transparently synthesize a broad array of available success criteria, and is not an accurate representation of school or district performance. Such a rating scale has shown to be highly detrimental to schools or districts with a high percentage of low socioeconomic students, as poverty is the single best predictor of low school performance. The state accountability system should add value to students, teachers, schools, parents, and the community, and be based on multiple measures of student achievement and success, as well as locally defined criteria in areas deemed important to the community.
- Substitute Assessments should be counted at the Masters Grade Level performance, and be included in the School Progress/Growth measures.
- Required SAT/ACT testing of students who take the STAAR Algebra 1 prior to high school should be funded by the state, not the school district.
- Support permanently adopting the Individual Graduation Committees (IGC) as an appropriate safeguard against the over-reliance on high stakes testing (currently due to expire September 1, 2019).
CHOICE
Klein ISD believes that any schools that receive any tax dollars must be held to the same academic, legislative, and financial standards to which public schools are held.