87th Texas Legislative Session

The Texas Legislature will convene for its 87th regular legislative session from January 12, 2021 to May 31, 2021. Prior to and throughout the session, this page will be updated with information that pertains to GCISD and the legislative session.

GCISD's Legislative Priorities

View/print PDF of GCISD's legislative priorities

Expand each topic below to read the priorities the GCISD Board of Trustees has adopted, highlighting ways legislators can support public education in our community.

School Finance

  • Support the reduction or elimination of the burden of Robin Hood/recapture on local communities and taxpayers.
  • Support efforts to secure the current funding system and make appropriate budget decisions to assure long-term sustainability to HB3.
  • Support prioritizing maintenance of the basic allotment, instructional allotments and tax compression rates over implementation of new programmatic spending until such resources are available.
  • Advocate for truth-in-taxation regarding the relationship between rising property values and the corresponding decline in state funding.
  • Oppose any mandated use of school district fund balances to offset or supplant state or local funding.

    • Disaster Response

  • Support hold harmless provisions for funding losses due to COVID-19.
  • Dedicate federal disaster-relief funds to public schools without supplanting state public education spending.

    • Assessments and Accountability

  • Oppose the current A-F ratings that rely solely on STAAR scores and fail to recognize the strengths and uniqueness of each student, school and district.
  • Support combining locally-developed measures with state measures in an accountability system that more accurately demonstrates the effectiveness of a school or district.

    • School Safety and Security

  • Support fully funding the capital and operating expenses for school safety measures including equipment, infrastructure, personnel and counseling support to protect students and staff.

    • Teacher Recruitment and Retention

  • Provide more affordable health insurance options for school district employees that align with benefits available to other state employees in the Texas ERS.
  • Support legislation to ensure the continuation of defined retirement benefits for teachers and staff through TRS.
  • Advocate for solutions to address teacher recruitment and retention, including improved salaries, benefits and professional growth opportunities through higher education and professional development.

    • Taxpayer Advocacy

  • Support the ability to advocate for local taxpayers for example by belonging to organizations and having representative voices in the legislative process.
  • Oppose any legislation which would carve out or allow only special interest groups, non-profit and quasi non-profit organizations or charter schools preferential access to lawmakers and the law-making process.

    • Charters and Vouchers

  • Oppose the diversion of public funds to private entities through voucher or voucher-like schemes (e.g. education savings accounts, tuition tax credits, etc.) without the same accountability and transparency for public tax dollars as public schools.
  • Support limiting the expansion of charter schools so that all available state funds for public education are used to sustain the promises made in HB3.
  • Oppose charter expansion into areas served by high-performing schools.

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