By Scott Harvey
Commerce – The Commerce ISD joins an increasingly popular campaign to inform legislators of a need for change to the current Texas public school finance system.
During Monday's regular board meeting, the school board adopted a resolution of acknowledgment Making Education a Priority, a campaign that originated through the Aledo ISD, west of Fort Worth.
The document states the current system is negatively affecting an increasing number of school districts, and urges lawmakers this upcoming session not to repeat the 2009 legislator's lack of reliable funding improvements. While the resolution acknowledges the current economic challenges, it states that improvements in school funding be established with an attitude where education is found as the highest priority.
Due to a lack of state funding, several school districts, including Commerce, Fannindel, Campbell and Royse City ISD's, have had or are planning to go before voters to increase the property tax rate.
A recent report from www.texasisd.com found 30 percent of Texas school districts have asked their voters for tax rate increases since state lawmakers adopted the requirement four years ago.
More information on the Making Education a Priority campaign is available at www.schoolpriority.com. The Texas legislator convenes in January.