Texas Democrats demand Gov. Abbott call for special session on public school funding

DALLAS - Some Texas Democrats demanded Gov. Greg Abbott call a special session to pass school funding bills in order to address budget cuts.

But the governor quickly pointed the finger back at them, claiming they had a chance to pass school funding but lost it over their opposition to his voucher.

The letters issued Monday between Texas Democrat lawmakers and Gov. Abbott show there is still no resolution when it comes to the matter of public school funding.

As the school year winds down, the debate over school funding and a proposed voucher program ramps up again.

Texas Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston) along with 38 other House Democrats wrote a letter asking Abbott to order another special session.

The coalition of Democrats claims the Texas Legislature has not increased school spending since 2019, and this has put school districts in financial distress.

They say the state’s surplus of about $18 billion means it has the resources to better fund public schools.

The letter calls on the governor to prioritize two items: increasing the basic allotment for schools and increasing the school safety allotment. 

The governor rejected the letter and wrote his own response, blaming the financial distress in part on poor budgeting and districts relying on COVID-19 federal funding that has since run out.

Abbott called out the 39 Texas House Democrats for voting against a previous education package that was also tied to his school voucher program.

And much of what the governor said in Monday's letter, he told FOX 4 last month, adding that they walked away from the best and final offer on the table in the third and fourth special sessions.

"We had a great program that we tried to pass in the special session that provided $6 billion more for public education, pay raises for teachers, the elimination of the STARR test, plus school choice," Abbott said in an April 22 interview. "That deal which was the best deal public schools could have gotten."

Democrats haven’t been shy about their opposition to Abbott’s school voucher program, which would allow state funds to be used for private school tuition.

Without a funding package passed, districts across the state made cuts to handle budget deficits and to deal with a significant decline in enrollment.

In North Texas, Fort Worth ISD is cutting dozens of jobs while others like Richardson ISD are consolidating campuses.

Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde told FOX 4 she believes Gov. Abbott will have the votes to pass his school voucher program in the next legislative session. She hopes it will be done in an equitable way.

"I still think Texas wants to do right by all schools, by all kids — including public schools. So I think that our opportunity is to help us make this private school subsidy be as equitable as possible," she said. "And by that, I mean let’s ensure that if we’re going to use public dollars for private schools, that they at a minimum are held to the same standards that our public schools are held to." 

The Texas Legislature does not convene until next January.

By that time, seats could be filled by new state representatives, depending on the outcome of the November election.