Apparently the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees didn’t learn their lesson last November. After being exposed for spending less than 25% of their money on instruction, taxpayers flunked a proposal to hike property tax rates up to the maximum allowed by law. Now, the school board is calling on the state for more money.
Last October, Dripping Springs ISD asked taxpayers to approve a 13-cent property tax hike (to the maximum allowable rate by law), claiming the state underfunded public schools during the 82nd Legislative Session.
They forgot to mention that the DSISD’s instructional spending rate was abysmal – only 25% of total funding was making its way into the classroom.
With no surprise, voters shot down the board’s proposal to hike taxes in the November election by a 74-26% margin – one of the largest rejections of a tax hike in the state that cycle. In other words, taxpayers gave their school board a big, fat F for their fiscal irresponsibility.
It doesn’t appear the school board learned their lesson.
On April 19th, DSISD trustees passed a “Resolution to Stop the Cuts,” ridiculously calling for a special session to dip into the Rainy Day Fund (up to $2.5 billion) in order to bring funding up the level it would have been had the legislature not finally cut them off from their spending addiction.
They don’t understand that they already have plenty of money – they just don’t seem to know how to spend it responsibly. Nor do they seem to understand the calls during the 82nd Session to protect the Rainy Day Fund for when the true budget-busters – ObamaCare and Medicaid liabilities – finally hit the state in the coming years.
Taxpayers shouldn’t worry though – Governor Perry has already made it perfectly clear the big-spending educrats aren’t going to get their way with a special session.
DSISD Board of Trustees Secretary John Adams
What they should keep mind, however, is that DSISD board Secretary John Adams is running against Taxpayer Champion Jason Isaac in the general election for Texas House this November. No doubt, as a Democrat and an educrat Mr. Adams will be campaigning solely on restoring “cuts” to public education – which were actually still increases – with no plan to actually stop wasteful spending and make our public schools more efficient.
Taxpayers should give Mr. Adams a remedial course in fiscal responsibility by sending Rep. Isaac back to Austin.
