Round Rock ISD’s Board of Trustees adopted three significant priorities for the upcoming 87th Session of the Texas Legislature that are laser focused on education funding and reflect the ongoing concern of the significant impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on public schools.
The Board’s Legislative Priorities are:
- Protect all programs and funding provided in House Bill 3 (authorized in the 86th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature.)
- Provide additional funding to address deficits brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and enable raises for teachers.
- Protect and enhance funding for Senate Bill 11 (authorized in the 86th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature) that addresses school safety, trauma informed care and mental health resources in schools.
The Board of Trustees generally adopts a list of priorities in a variety of categories. The unprecedented challenges presented by the pandemic, however, prompted the Board to focus priorities on issues of funding, given the anticipated state budget shortfall and the increased need for resources to support students whose education has been significantly impacted by school shutdowns, virtual education and other consequences of the pandemic.
“We need to address the deficits to student outcomes brought on by the pandemic and we also need to provide teachers and staff with raises to both honor their hard work in this time and to encourage retention,” said Board Vice President Cory Vessa, who also serves as Round Rock ISD’s advocacy chair. “It would be very discouraging to our teachers and staff if coming out of the pandemic the state failed to provide resources to districts to give our teachers and staff even nominal raises. The Legislature made a commitment to our communities to value teachers by prioritizing their compensation in order to attract talented individuals to the profession and keep them in it. We need lawmakers to honor that commitment.”
The 87th Legislature is scheduled to convene on Jan. 12, 2021. The Regular Session lasts for 140 days.
