School officials testify about loss of ASATR funding

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Two Scurry County public school district officials were among those who testified at a joint committee of the Texas House of Representatives’ Public Education and Appropriation committees last week.
Ira ISD Superintendent Jay Waller and Snyder ISD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Randy Burks testified about the effects the elimination of Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction (ASATR) would have on their respective districts.
“I felt that the testimony to the Appropriations and Public Education committee was helpful for Ira ISD,” Waller said. “I hope that they are now informed that there are consequences for the end date of the promised ASATR funding piece of the educational formula. I realized that many representatives have limited knowledge of how our funding system works for public education.”
More than 19 hours of testimony was heard by the committee over two days.
“The issue that impacts Snyder ISD most dramatically is that of Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction elimination. My testimony laid out, in three minutes, how the elimination of funding will impact Snyder ISD,” Burks said. “With the decline in mineral values, Snyder ISD’s dependence on ASATR has grown from $4.8 million in 2015-16 to almost $10 million (40 percent) of its $25 million general revenue for the 2016-17 school year.”
Waller was asked by The School Coalition to tell Ira’s story, something he has done previously with Sen. Charles Perry and Rep. Dustin Burrows.
“It was great to work with the other school districts in our state and network with their problems and concerns,” Waller said. “I hope that discussing our situation on the public platform and to the individual representatives during my time in Austin helped enlighten the consequences if ASATR ends.”
Burks presented the committee members with numbers, including the fact that when ASATR funding began, 1,200 school districts received $5.6 billion.
“Through value growth, that number has naturally declined to around 200 districts that receive about $200 million annually,” he said. “ASATR has worked as it was intended when the Legislature enacted the program in 2006. It is a promise made by the Texas legislators to keep districts whole that reduced their tax rates from $1.50 to $1.04.”
Burks also discussed the cuts made by the school district this year, including cutting 28 positions, a half-day pre-kindergarten program and 30 percent across-the-board cuts. In all, the school district cut its budget by $2.6 million this year.
“These were not easy or popular cuts to make,” Burks said.
Waller said after his testimony that he was able to speak to lawmakers.
“I felt that support for continuing some form of funding is possible and that many representatives did not understand the consequences of the ending of that funding,” he said.
Waller also said recapture payments and decreasing property values were brought up during the hearing.
“Each testified and presented a different direction to the funding formulas. Each has its own consequences and problems,” Waller said. “Few were there to gripe and complain and were deemed unnecessary by most of our colleagues. Most of the testimonies were presented in an educational and informative manner to help our legislators understand and make informed decisions in January during the session.”
With the ASATR funding scheduled to end on Sept. 1, 2017, Waller said it would be a “devastating mandate to our school.”
“We are a high academically performing school district that meets and exceeds all of the requirements set by the state and have met those guidelines with tremendous dedication and expectations. We are expected to produce a successful and productive student to live and influence our society for the future,” Waller said. “If the intent of the state is to close a school district like ours based on the facts, not speculations of what we do with our students and community, then I have great concern for our system. I do not believe that is the case. Therefore, I believe in the system and our representatives, but moreso I believe in my community that they will not stand for this to be allowed to happen.”