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"Robin-hood" revisited - special edition
Dear Rhino Families,
We are under threat. Under the state's recapture plan, HISD stands to lose $168 M from their budget, and the annual amount lost by HISD will continue to rise. This means that CVHS will lose even more from our already-lean budget. This budget cut will mean larger class sizes, fewer electives, and a lack of funding for programs like UIL. This undermines our ability to continue to provide an exceptional learning environment for our students. Here is the video that was shared at the September 15 CVHS PTO meeting. Some more information follows. To find out what you can do, skip to the end.
An item on the November ballot asks voters to authorize the board of trustees of Houston Independent School District to purchase attendance credits from the state with local tax revenues in the November election. - A vote "AGAINST" does not consent to enter HISD into RECAPTURE (aka "Robinhood") now and in the future, as would a "for" vote in November. Once in recapture a district stays in recapture.
- A vote "AGAINST" shifts the responsibility to the state to come and get it. That is, come and get commercial properties in Houston that will be reassigned to other school districts.
- A vote "AGAINST" would follow on to the efforts of our very own Rhinos who were in the group of students that submitted a student brief in the unsuccessful law suit brought by "property-rich" school districts, including HISD.
- A vote "AGAINST" gives more time for parents to advocate to their legislators to fix the "Byzantine" Texas school funding system. The next legislative session begins in January.
- A vote "AGAINST" puts off the planned burden on Houston until July. If the state reassigns property that happens in July. This gives more time for the Texas state legislature to act.
- A vote "AGAINST" was urged by Diana Davila, the HISD trustee for the geographical area that includes CVHS, at a public Listen and Learn town hall meeting I attended with new Superintendent Carrera, September 14, 2016, at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center.
What can you do? - Attend one of the Trustee District VIII hosted town hall meetings Sept. 20-22.
- Vote "AGAINST" the ballot item in the November election.
- Signup here to help parents plan what to write to their state legislators.
Keep Calm and Rhino On!
Sarah Bittner
president@cvhspto.org |
