Politics plays a role in timing, threat of school closures in Lubbock, state

In gangster films we all know dark characters who say: ‘It’s a nice place you have here. It would be a shame if something were to happen to that.”

We accept it when we see that on screen because it advances the plot. However, when it happens in real life and our children’s education is threatened, we owe it to our children to push back.

As a legislator, it is my honor to advocate for the families who send their children to public schools and the teachers who have dedicated their lives to their education. That includes seeking the right balance between school funding and accountability for the trustees who sign the checks. It also includes understanding school finances, which is why I was frustrated when I recently heard about Lubbock ISD’s surprising deficit and their seemingly hasty proposal to address it.

A scan of headlines in other Texas cities shows school boards across the state (and country) talking about closing schools. Some districts started this conversation many months ago on a matter-of-fact note based on the numbers. Others have apparently timed their announcements to coincide with early voting to stoke outrage that could influence choices in individual votes.

That said, I have no doubt that LISD has a budget deficit. Enrollments are declining because population density is changing. This matters because Texas bases its funding on children in schools, not the buildings themselves.

While LISD is shrinking, surrounding districts are growing in terms of enrollment and funding. At the same time, LISD is subject to a $3.6 million clawback from Medicaid because the federal government is taking away almost as enthusiastically as it gives. Additionally, LISD (like all of us) must pay much more for goods and services than in years past due to rampant inflation.

In the spirit of the progressive left not to let any crisis go to waste, many are stirring the pot with political statements about school funding and school choice, urging parents to vote for Democrats based on false fears about school funding. By choosing this path, these outspoken advocates are obscuring the truth of what actually happened during the last legislative session.

Last year, as I worked with my fellow legislators to increase funding, our schools, and enable school choice (without taking money from local districts), a bunch of education associations (like the Texas Association of School Boards “TASB” and the Texas Association of School Boards “TASB” and the Texas Association of School Administrators “TASA”) and their lobbyists (paid for with your tax dollars) came at us in wave after wave of opposition. This powerful gang is used to getting its way and has had far too much influence on education policy in Texas for decades.

Tragically for Texas families, this gang consistently prioritizes the self-interests of their adult members over those of our schoolchildren.

This came to a head during the fourth of the special sessions that Governor Greg Abbott called. During that debate we debated House Bill 1, which I supported (you can read it for yourself at Texas Legislature Online – 88(4) ).

In addition to providing LISD with an additional $8,571,531 for the 2024-2025 school year, HB1 has also allocated an additional $20,193,919 for the 2025-2026 school year and set that as a baseline for any future budget. Parents, students and their teachers would be happy to know that the bill also eliminates the STAAR test.

Although the school choice debate was controversial, HB1’s approach was truly reasonable: It proposed educational savings accounts that would allow parents of the most vulnerable Texas students to seek the best educational environment for their child. This was done by adding new money to the system so that not a cent would come out of a district’s budget. Pretty awesome, right?

HB 1 would have significantly increased funding for LISD and all school districts across the state, but the gang of education lobbyists pulled out all the stops to destroy it. Are you upset that your tax dollars were used to lobby AGAINST this bill and the additional school funding that comes with it?

Putting aside any concern for student success, the gang of associations and their lobbyists let their fear of competition and its attendant responsibility drive their aggressive opposition to HB1. Now that bill is in the legislative graveyard, these taxpayer-funded lobbyists are spending their ill-gotten gains while the districts that hired them struggle to make ends meet (or so they say). As a proud parent of children in Lubbock ISD Schools, I understand that some consolidation may be necessary due to the continued decline in the student population (down 17% since 2017). Threatening to close thriving, high-quality schools that actually attract families to the district will only worsen the problem of declining enrollment. If you care about your children and their friends at school, I hope you will share your concerns with them. school board members elected to represent you. It is up to this community to push back against the intimidation by the gang of education lobbyists so that we can find sensible solutions to finances and school choice next session. Our children deserve nothing less.

(Stands. Representative Dustin BurrowsR-Lubbock, has represented State House District 83 since 2015. He chairs the House Calendars Committee.)

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Opinion: Burrows: Politics plays a role in timing, threat of school closures