Why is AISD shrinking? (Austin, Plano: rental, insurance, how much)

[kitkatbar]

The formula for the recapture process needs to be reworked. The schools that are getting the "wealthy" district's recapture money are so flush with extra cash, they buy ridiculous things like waterparks for their school districts.

https://www.kxan.com/investigations/...a-doesnt-work/

As noted above, Austin ISD pays well more than any other school district in Texas. This disparity in payment comes despite Austin ISD noting that 51.9% of the district’s population is considered "economically disadvantaged."

Now, this argument from AISD is just kind of silly. I get that they want to keep their money and of course it would help their economically disadvantaged kids, but overall in Texas, 60.6% of students identify as economically disadvantaged. AISD has fewer students than the state as a whole, so the districts who are receiving their recapture payments likely have a higher percentage than they do, and they know that.

[ashbeeigh]

I sat next to a guy who was a social worker at The Valley district that got the funds for the water park a few years ago. He was very defensive and explained it was an “aquatic center.” AISD doesn’t even have an aquatic center and only a few select campuses have swim teams…those they have access to a community pool. I know bowie’s swim team practices at the circle c pool and I assume Austin high also has done neighborhood access…but northeast, Navarro or eastside? Doubtful. Equity my butt.

[Trainwreck20]

This graphic is a few years old, but was in a report developed by an outside source (i.e. not the state lege and not the Texas schools). It points to what really rankles people about the redistribution. See if you can find the issue .

https://www.urban.org/sites/default/...dceutBRROYwsNo

[done working]

we have a close friend that teaches in a high school and he's ready to quit - he cant get his students to do even the most basic of homework assignments and his principle told him all kids must pass -

the parents dont give a crap even to go to open house - review homework or check grades - he's says austin is hell to teach in

no wonder - low pay crappy students and parents who give a damn - i told him to look for another profession or move on to college or university level

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by done working

we have a close friend that teaches in a high school and he's ready to quit - he cant get his students to do even the most basic of homework assignments and his principle told him all kids must pass -

the parents dont give a crap even to go to open house - review homework or check grades - he's says austin is hell to teach in

no wonder - low pay crappy students and parents who give a damn - i told him to look for another profession or move on to college or university level

Austin was like that 30 years ago. It is why I retired as soon as I could.
They are reaping what they sowed in the 1980s & 1990s, both in the Capitol and in AISD.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

This graphic is a few years old, but was in a report developed by an outside source (i.e. not the state lege and not the Texas schools). It points to what really rankles people about the redistribution. See if you can find the issue .

https://www.urban.org/sites/default/...dceutBRROYwsNo

I believe that is out of date, in the last session they revised robinhood to guarantee a standard amount per student.

The formula is essentially 10K/student and then you give the excess to recapture. To ensure that districts dont just lower the tax rate, there is a minimum tax rate of $1. Because of travis county's high values, we end up collecting a lot of money.

I read a discussion about how the state had collected 1.4B in extra recapture funds that they just put into the general fund.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by Austin97

I believe that is out of date, in the last session they revised robinhood to guarantee a standard amount per student.

The formula is essentially 10K/student and then you give the excess to recapture. To ensure that districts dont just lower the tax rate, there is a minimum tax rate of $1. Because of travis county's high values, we end up collecting a lot of money.

I read a discussion about how the state had collected 1.4B in extra recapture funds that they just put into the general fund.

Yes and no, there are a lot of shell games going on. How the state calculates the amount per student is, I believe, quite 'gamed' still. The minimum $1 was in effect (as well as the 'golden pennies' etc) at the time that report was done.

As to excess funds, I don't know if that is now happening. It didn't used to really happen to any significant degree, but if it is, that would likely revive the lawsuit claiming that the school property tax was a de factor state income tax.

[Ice_Major]

I've learned a lot about the recapture system in the last few years and got to admit, it sucks. However, is there really an viable alternative. When schools are primarily funded by property tax, funding inequalities are bound occur and thus negatively affect school quality. Most other states have another form of tax from which to draw so property taxes do not have to carry the burden. I'm not advocating for an income tax, just stating the obvious. Appears politicians and people in the rural areas need to stop calling us "city folk" socialist commies. Looks like our tax dollars are keeping many of their schools and therefore their communities afloat.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by Ice_Major

I've learned a lot about the recapture system in the last few years and got to admit, it sucks. However, is there really an viable alternative. When schools are primarily funded by property tax, funding inequalities are bound occur and thus negatively affect school quality. Most other states have another form of tax from which to draw so property taxes do not have to carry the burden. I'm not advocating for an income tax, just stating the obvious. Appears politicians and people in the rural areas need to stop calling us "city folk" socialist commies. Looks like our tax dollars are keeping many of their schools and therefore their communities afloat.

Some system of redistribution is necessary, both from an 'obvious' standpoint and from a legal mandate. I have no problem with that, all tax money has been redistributed since the dawn of time; however, whereas RH worked well for 15+ years, it has drifted into unintended areas due to lack of 'correction' parameters. In the end, the state has used it to shovel more and more of the tax burden to local taxes and less and less on state-level taxes. The state used to fund education to the tune of around 48 or 49% not that long ago, but is now down in the lower 30% range. The 'shedding' has all fallen onto property taxes and, due to property value, mainly urban areas.

This is correctable, but it is not to the advantage of most politicians - rural areas are making off like bandits with rapidly improving schools/facilities for minimal cost, and those same rural areas traditionally support the current politicians. At the same time, the urban population gets frustrated by the school system and goes private or charter, which results in less and less opposition and, generally speaking, money directly into the pockets of some big time political donors who run those private and charter schools. Throw in gerrymandering and any close split on an issue is a non-factor for the establishment.

It can be 'fixed' relatively easily from a technical standpoint; however, rural schools become more and more dependent on those distributions and that will make it jolting to correct. And the state might have to actually fund education again. If they are actually feeding into the GF from RH, then the low-30% funding coming from the state is actually probably much less than that once you factor that in.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Ice_Major

I've learned a lot about the recapture system in the last few years and got to admit, it sucks. However, is there really an viable alternative. When schools are primarily funded by property tax, funding inequalities are bound occur and thus negatively affect school quality. Most other states have another form of tax from which to draw so property taxes do not have to carry the burden. I'm not advocating for an income tax, just stating the obvious. Appears politicians and people in the rural areas need to stop calling us "city folk" socialist commies. Looks like our tax dollars are keeping many of their schools and therefore their communities afloat.

it doesnt matter which method you choose, rich areas will pay for poor areas

property tax, income tax, or sales tax it will all be similar.

At the same time AISD has lost around 10000 students in the last 10 years which represents about 100 million of funding.