Legislative Priorities

The Pflugerville Independent School District believes public education is the cornerstone of our society. PfISD provides a place where students of all backgrounds and abilities are given the opportunity to grow and learn. The District believes local control of schools and school programs is essential to the success of public schools across the state.

The education of our students is a partnership between PfISD and the communities we serve. Advocate for future generations by becoming well-versed in PfISD's Legislative Priorities and Resolutions and sharing your view with your legislators.

Based on research conducted by the State Comptroller Office, Pflugerville ISD has been identified as a district having both high student achievement and low operation costs. District leadership is committed to working with our state legislators in an effort to create an equitable and fiscally responsible school funding system to benefit PfISD and all Texas school children.

On Thursday, June 6, 2024, the Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees approved 4 Resolutions to send to the Texas Association of School Boards calling on action from the Texas State Legislature in 4 areas: Public Education Basic Allotment, Moving to Enrollment-based funding rather than Attendance-based funding, full funding for Safety and Security Measures, and full funding for Special Education Services.

2024-2025 PfISD Legislative Priorities

Funding

Elevate the basic allotment and implement an indexing mechanism that safeguards against the erosion of inflation gains over time.
According to the Legislative Budget Board, funding for public education decreased $9.8 billion in constant dollars between FY 2020 and FY 2025 — largely due to a flat Basic Allotment during years of high inflation. This inhibits schools from maintaining current service levels and programs without securing additional funding and affects teacher retention and recruitment. PfISD requests a $250 increase per student in the state's basic allotment to account for inflation and rising educational costs. Currently, PfISD faces a $7 million deficit for the 2024-25 school year, and raising the basic allotment would help close this funding gap.
Shift from Attendance-Based Funding to Enrollment-Based Funding
The current attendance-based system negatively impacts districts with higher absenteeism due to factors beyond their control, and the COVID-19 pandemic further revealed the weaknesses of the attendance-based system. By switching to an enrollment-based model, PfISD could receive an additional $16 million in funding. Other states have already successfully implemented this approach.
Incorporate PreK into the Early Education Allotment and guarantee complete funding for Full-time Pre-K students.
Fully funding the Pre-K program in the state of Texas is imperative for fostering early childhood development and educational preparedness. Adequate funding ensures access to quality early education, promotes essential cognitive and social skills that lay the foundation for academic success, reduces achievement gaps, and contributes to the long-term prosperity of both individuals and the state as a whole. Currently, districts only receive partial funding for students who attend school full-time.

Academics

Invest in and properly resource Special Education Services
PfISD calls for full funding of special education services to address a $15 million gap in PfISD's budget. Funding for special education has not kept pace with the growing needs of students with disabilities. Adequate funding is essential to meet legal obligations and support these students. The resolution urges a comprehensive review of the special education funding formula to ensure it reflects the actual costs of delivering these services.
Eliminate Summative Ratings & Add Career Readiness Indicators
End the use of summative ratings while keeping individual domain ratings, which are more illuminating to members of the public. College Career and Military Readiness should be better aligned with workforce education and should play a greater role in evaluating schools and districts. Include all career readiness indicators for A-F that go beyond certifications and programs of study to include all college, career, and military readiness indicators such as earning dual credit, graduating with an advanced diploma plan, earning a Level I or Level II certificate in any workforce education area, and passing the ASVAB and enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces or Texas National Guard.
Align CCMR Outcomes Bonus with CCMR Accountability Measures The state should align College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) outcomes bonuses with CCMR accountability measures to ensure consistency and fairness in how districts are evaluated and rewarded. Currently, districts are held accountable for a broad range of CCMR indicators that measure student readiness for post-secondary success. However, the criteria for outcomes-based funding can differ from those used in accountability ratings, creating disparities in how districts are recognized for their efforts. Aligning these systems would incentivize districts to focus on a unified set of goals, fostering a more coherent approach to preparing students for college, career, or military pathways. This alignment would also provide more equitable access to resources, enabling districts to invest in programs and support systems that directly contribute to student readiness and long-term success.
Limit Student Assessments Adjust state student assessment programs to be limited to only those assessments required to meet ESSA (federal) requirements.

Charter Schools

Voter Approval for Charter School Expansions and Equalized Charter/Public Funding
Charter schools should not be created/expanded without local taxpayer approval before consideration by the State Board of Education. Texas has allowed charter schools to bypass local voters and the democratic process in creating charters, when and where charter schools can be placed, and funding facilities without local voter input. We believe the local voters of the school district should have a say in the operation of any school receiving public funds. Additionally, charter schools should not be funded at a rate greater per student than the ISD in which they are located. For example, PfISD receives $5,541 per student, while IDEA public schools receive $6,543 per student.

Vouchers and Taxpayer Savings Grants

Offer school-choice options that are accountable to parents and the public
The Legislature should expand support for innovative models that give more choice within accountable public schools, such as magnet programs or specialized STEM academies, rather than diverting funds to private or for-profit institutions. All schools receiving taxpayer funds should be held to the same standards for academic performance, student acceptance, and fiscal transparency.

Safety and Security

Elevate the school safety allotment to guarantee complete funding for both current and future school safety standards established by the Texas Legislature and the Texas Education Agency.
Increased state funding is necessary to support mandated safety measures, including requiring armed officers at every campus. Current mandates are underfunded, placing a financial burden on school district budgets. The resolution stresses that safety improvements, such as facility upgrades and security personnel, require significant ongoing expenses. Without adequate funding, school districts may struggle to maintain safety without compromising the quality of educational programs.

Human Resources

Advocate for eliminating state-imposed obstacles to hiring retired teachers and prospective teachers, including costly exams and requirements that discourage individuals from pursuing a career in the profession.
Due to the high demand and low availability of teachers, the state should allow flexibility regarding reciprocal certifications and TRS Surcharges. Eliminating the TRS surcharge and TRS annuity forfeiture to allow recently retired teachers to immediately return to work without a retirement reduction and allowing for reciprocal certification approval for teachers with certificates from other states will provide districts with a much-needed pool of qualified educators.
Additional Certification Flexibility for Texas teachers
Texas schools are currently grappling with a severe staffing shortage, particularly in the areas of Special Education (SPED), Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Pre-Kindergarten programs. To address this crisis, many schools are now being forced to consider hiring uncertified staff to fill these crucial positions.

While the need for qualified educators in these areas is more urgent than ever, the state's certification requirements remain prohibitively high for many potential candidates. This has created a bottleneck, leaving schools understaffed and students without the specialized support they need to succeed.

The state’s current certification process, though designed to ensure high standards, has inadvertently contributed to the shortage as aspiring teachers struggle to meet these stringent requirements in a timely manner.

To assist school districts, more flexibility with the emergency permit rules would allow greater possibilities for educators to teach in our most severe shortage area classrooms. For educators not successfully completing a TExES subject area competency exam, lowering the emergency permit rules from 24 college semester hours in the subject area(s) to 12 college semester hours will allow more educators to qualify for those assignments. Additionally, adding a local pathway certification option for SPED/bilingual/pre-k teachers will provide districts greater flexibility as well.

Operations

Allow for direct representation before Texas Legislature
Oppose legislation or measures that limit school districts’ or administrators’ ability to have personalized representation before the Texas Legislature, state agencies, and the executive branch.
Encourage Texas to develop a state-issued school bus-only driving permit
Obtaining a CDL currently requires extensive training and qualifications, much of which may not be necessary for individuals interested solely in driving school buses. The ongoing shortage of school bus drivers has created significant challenges for school districts across Texas, affecting student transportation and, in some cases, instructional time due to delays. To address this issue, Texas should consider creating a specialized "School Bus-Only" driving permit as part of its existing Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program.

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