Owen M.

Hurt 13 APR 2014

Week One Assignment, Part 1 Reviewing History of Texas School inance The earliest significant event in Texas school finance histor was the esta!lish"ent of ele"entar schools ! the #e$eral %onstitution of the &nite$ Mexican 'tates in 1(24. The govern"ent esta!lishe$ the i$eal that )u!lic e$ucation is i")ortant to a countr . This i$ea hel)e$ create the "ain e$ucation s ste" we still have to$a in Texas. *nitiall the govern"ent+s lac, of e$ucational esta!lish"ent in Texas over the ears gave the citi-ens another reason for see,ing in$e)en$ence. This )rovi$e$ the stance that Texas citi-ens value )u!lic fun$s going towar$s the e$ucation of our outh. The next significant event revolves aroun$ creating fun$s for school $istricts. Presi$ent .a"ar+s esta!lishe$ lan$ grants to fun$ %ount Per"anent 'chool #un$s in the "i$ 1(00+s. This esta!lish"ent $i$ not )rovi$e enough school fun$s/ !ut it create$ the i$ea on how Texas coul$ generate "one for )u!lic schools. The i$ea of using lan$ to generate fun$s for schools ha$ a lasting i")ression on Texas citi-ens. To$a school $istricts get a )ortion of their fun$s through local school $istrict )ro)ert taxes. The last significant event loo,s at the esta!lish"ent of unifor" schools an$ fun$ing. The 0il"er1Ai,en Act in 1242 affecte$ how schools woul$ get an$ use fun$s. Things li,e "an$ator stu$ent atten$ance/ ten "onth school calen$ar/ an$ a statewi$e "ini"u" salar have their roots in this !ill. 3hen over (04 of a school $istrict !u$get is )ersonnel ou can see how these regulations change$ Texas schools to a "ore unifor" s ste". This cause$ the nu"!er of

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school $istricts in Texas to go fro" 4/500 to 2/200 i""e$iatel . Over the next 60 ears "ore consoli$ation of school $istricts woul$ occur to get us to aroun$ 1/200 school $istricts.

Week One Assignment, Part ! State orm"la #nsights an$ reflections 3hen it co"es to fun$ing Texas schools "ost citi-ens refer to their local )ro)ert taxes. 3hat is interesting is that tax rates are in a sense esta!lishe$ ! the state/ !ut it can+t !e a state tax !ecause that woul$ "a,e it unconstitutional. The local school !oar$s get to esta!lish their tax rates an$ ho"estea$ exe")tions. The confusing )art is the re7uire"ents of the state for aca$e"ics an$ fun$ing nearl esta!lish a state )ro)ert tax. Most school $istricts $o not offer "uch of a ho"estea$ exe")tion an$ the tax rates a"ong $istricts are not $rasticall $ifferent. The tax rate unifor"it $oes not "atch the stu$ent+s $iverse nee$s that are all across the state. The 8Ro!in Hoo$9 fun$ing i$ea was !orn out of a lawsuit. *n theor this is a great i$ea/ !ut it has not $one enough. The $iscre)anc !etween $istricts an$ a"ount of fun$ing )er stu$ent is still significant. This significance causes frustration for the whole school co""unit . :ver co""unit wants what is !est for their stu$ents an$ woul$ agree that the teacher is the !iggest co")onent of this. The !etter 7ualit of teacher will result in !etter learning for stu$ents. The attractiveness of a high salar is one co")onent of getting 7ualit teachers. The first ear teacher salar for $istricts can give ou an i$ea of the $iscre)anc in fun$ing. These will range fro" the low ;30/000+s to the low ;50/000+s. 'tate fun$ing for schools have alwa s ha$ re7uire"ents attache$ to it. Pu!lic schools all have to "eet the sa"e re7uire"ents ! T:A. *n the 1220+s the Texas legislature $eci$e$ to start fun$ing charter schools an$ since then charter schools have ex)an$e$ across the state. The concern is that there is a )erce)tion that the fun$ing an$ re7uire"ents are the sa"e for !oth

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charter an$ )u!lic schools. 3hile the )u!lic schools receive "ore fun$s the also receive "ore re7uire"ents. %harter schools are creating "ore co")etition a"ongst school $istricts for stu$ents. :ach school $istrict will have their own !enefits for stu$ents. The $iscre)anc !etween fun$ing an$ re7uire"ents causes "ore confusion a"ong e$ucators an$ concerne$ citi-ens.

Week One Assignment, Part % &'"ality, &'"ity an$ A$e'"acy Equality <efinition= :$ucational )rogra"s are si"ilar for all stu$ents. :xa")les= ')orts facilities an$ o))ortunities at a school $istrict are si"ilar regar$less of gen$er. Pu!lic school gra$uation $i)lo"as have si"ilar re7uire"ents across the state. Equity <efinition= All stu$ents have their e$ucational nee$s "et. :xa")les= 'tu$ents with $isa!ilities la!ele$ un$er 'ection 504 receive a$$itional in$ivi$uali-e$ e$ucational services in the classroo" an$ on the state assess"ent. 'tu$ents receiving ')ecial :$ucation services "a receive a$$itional e$ucational o))ortunities $uring the long su""er !rea,. Adequacy <efinition= 'chool $istrict fun$ing creates success for all stu$ents. :xa")les= 'chool $istricts la!ele$ as %ha)ter 42 will receive a$$itional fun$s. 3eighte$ Average <ail Atten$ance is use$ to fun$ schools !ase$ on their stu$ents+ nee$s. Week One Assignment, Part ( )om*aring +istrict #m*rovement Plans Austin *'< an$ 'eal *'< are two $ifferent school $istricts with si"ilar goals for our stu$ents. Austin *'< is a large ur!an school $istrict while 'eal *'< is a s"aller rural school $istrict. Austin *'< has "ore stu$ents in so"e of its high schools than 'eal *'< has in its whole school $istrict.

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The goals for each $istrict are clear in assisting all stu$ents towar$ achieving aca$e"ic success. The $iverse nee$s of stu$ents are i$entifie$ through a$$itional resources an$ staffing that are allocate$ throughout the )lans. The all $a )re1,in$ergarten )rogra" is i$entifie$ in !oth )lans. 'eal also has a tuition !ase$ )re1,in$ergarten )rogra" that is for those stu$ents that woul$ not have otherwise 7ualifie$ for )rogra". >oth school $istricts also i$entif )arent involve"ent as a co""on goal. The Austin *'< )lan has "ore total )rogra"s/ !ut 'eal *'< has a goo$ nu"!er given the si-e of the school $istrict. #un$ing sources an$ how the are allocate$ are $ocu"ente$ where nee$e$ in the i")rove"ent )lans. 'tate co")ensator e$ucation is re7uire$ to !e liste$ in $etail in i")rove"ent )lans. >oth 'eal an$ Austin have those i$entifie$ for use to )urchase )rogra"s an$ fun$ staff "e"!ers. Austin *'< )rovi$es a !rief !rea,$own of the school $istrict+s !u$get. This hel)s to ex)lain where all the "one is allocate$ even if it is in ?ust a si")le chart. 'eal *'< $oes not )rovi$e this !rea,$own of fun$ing in the i")rove"ent )lan. Their fun$ing is onl foun$ to !e $etaile$ in )articular goals an$ o!?ectives that are re7uire$. The changes for 'eal *'< have $etaile$ $escri)tions an$ fun$ing allocations )rovi$e$. The a$$itional e"otional an$ social su))ort for stu$ents is an exa")le of this $ocu"entation. Austin *'< gives an overview of all )rogra"s an$ fun$ing regar$less of whether it has !een in )lace for several ears or is !ran$ new. The $istrict i")rove"ents )lans loo, ver $ifferent. 'eal *'< uses a ta!le loo,ing for"at that is onl seen in Austin *'<+s A))en$ix >. Austin *'<+s )rogra" $escri)tions are a lot "ore $etaile$. The are )ut in a )aragra)h for" that allows for "ore ela!oration. There is also infor"ation a!out the )rocess for collecting in)ut an$ who is involve$ in the )rocess. The recor$ for co""ittee atten$ance is "uch li,e a teacher+s atten$ance chart. Minutes fro" the

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"eeting are t )e$ u) an$ inclu$e$ in the )lan. The give $etails a!out the "eeting so ever thing is trans)arent to all who rea$ the". 'eal *'<+s $escri)tions in the )lan are li"ite$ to the re7uire$ infor"ation. 'eal +s "inutes are also ver "ini"al with onl highlights of the "eetings. S,&) Self-Assessment an$ Reflection - )om*etency . Area/ The su)erinten$ent ,nows how to= @@*@@@ a))l )roce$ures for effective !u$get )lanning an$ "anage"ent. @@*@@@ wor, colla!orativel with !oar$ of trustees an$ a))ro)riate )ersonnel to $evelo) $istrict !u$gets. @@%@@ facilitate an$ evaluate effective account au$iting an$ "onitoring that co")lies with legal re7uire"ents an$ local $istrict )olic . @@%@@@ esta!lish $istrict )roce$ures for accurate/ effective/ ethical )urchasing an$ financial recor$ ,ee)ing an$ re)orting. @@%@@ ac7uire/ allocate/ an$ "anage resources accor$ing to $istrict vision an$ )riorities/ inclu$ing o!taining an$ using fun$ing fro" various sources. @@'@@@ use $istrict an$ staff evaluation $ata for )ersonnel )olic $evelo)"ent an$ $ecision "a,ing. @@'@@@ a))l ,nowle$ge associate$ with )ersonnel "anage"ent/ inclu$ing re7uire"ents relate$ to certif ing/ recruiting/ screening/ selecting/ evaluating/ $isci)lining/ reassigning/ an$ $is"issing )ersonnel. @@'@@@ "anage oneAs own ti"e an$ the ti"e of others to enhance $istrict o)erations. @@%@@@ $evelo) an$ i")le"ent )lans for using technolog an$ infor"ation s ste"s to enhance efficienc an$ effectiveness of school $istrict o)erations. @@*@@@ a))l legal conce)ts/ regulations/ an$ co$es as re7uire$. @@%@@@use revenue forecasting an$ enroll"ent forecasting to a$$ress )ersonnel an$ !u$getar nee$s accuratel .

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