Public schools stepped up; don’t forget them

The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could well trigger budget reductions across government services, and public schools are unlikely to be spared from pain. But as Texas begins to have a conversation about our priorities going forward, it’s important to remember just how much disruption our students have endured and to consider the unmistakable link between great public schools and a brighter future for our state.

Texas public school employees are some of the heroes of this crisis. Teachers, food service personnel and the many others who make our public schools work have gone many extra miles over the last month to see that children continue to learn, have meals available and remain connected to their friends and classmates. Texas has seen the vital role that educators play in children’s lives and public schools play in Texas communities.

There was no manual for reinventing our education system during a pandemic, but school staff and teachers have done their best to keep students engaged. And with state leadership wisely waiving standardized testing requirements, public school educators have proven it is students’ success and well-being, and not the threat of consequences tied to state testing, that motivates them.

Their commitment has been matched by countless Texas parents juggling work schedules and their children’s educational needs — all with a newfound reverence for the teaching profession.

Despite the collective heroics of teachers and parents to preserve as much continuity of instruction as possible, there’s no doubt that this interruption has created difficulty for students and their families. And yet there is another storm cloud looming over public education in Texas: uncertainty regarding the funding schools need to fulfill their mission and prepare 5.4 million students for success beyond the classroom.

Coronavirus is bludgeoning the economy across this country. Texas is no exception, and that is further exacerbated due to the sharp decline in oil prices. State revenues are plummeting as a result, and Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said on April 1 that the state is in a recession.

It seems like a lifetime ago, but it was actually just last year when the Texas Legislature made a sizable investment in public schools — an investment that was not meant to be a one-time expenditure, but rather a recurring cost. With state revenues heading southward, there is ample reason to question whether legislators can maintain current levels of state financial support for public education. In fact, with the recession expected to drive down local property values statewide, therefore reducing local property tax collections, the state could be obligated to shoulder even more of the burden of paying for public education.

Some will be tempted to argue that the state invested in schools in good economic times and must now reduce education funding as part of the larger belt-tightening effort the recession will require. But it’s important to remember that those new dollars flowed only after a decade of stagnant funding. Over the last 15 years, demands on our students and our schools have intensified, while the percentage of students who come to school at a disadvantage, and are therefore more costly to educate, has grown. Funding has only begun to catch up with the expectations we put on our public schools. In fact, even after last year’s improvements, Texas remains below the national average in perstudent expenditures.

Public school educators are used to doing more with less and understand that the fallout from this pandemic will be widespread. But we hope policymakers will take a broader view — to look back and remember the many years that funding was flat, and to look forward and consider the long-term value of properly educating our future workforce.

Let’s not bankrupt our future by shortchanging our students.

Moulton is superintendent of Galveston ISD and Bashara is superintendent of Alamo Heights ISD. They both serve on the executive committee of the Texas School Coalition, an organization of public school districts that send local tax dollars to the state.