Schools are in need of a new finance system now

By Joe Jaworski
The Galveston County Daily News
Published August 29, 2008

I read with interest The Daily News’ story on how the state’s broken public-school-finance system is bankrupting local school districts (“School finance system breaking districts’ budgets, educators say,” The Daily News, Aug. 17).

Robin Hood’s finance scheme has failed, yet state leaders respond by making local districts fight each other for resources, putting another generation of students at risk.

We’re four touchdowns behind with 10 minutes to go — yet Austin runs the ball.

We need new leadership to fix this mess.

This crisis, which Austin politicians — including my opponent for the District 11 seat in the Texas Senate, whom the newspaper quoted in its article — have repeatedly tried but failed to address, is now made even more urgent by skyrocketing utility, insurance and health care costs, as Galveston Independent School District board president Andy Mytelka has correctly noted.

So what’s the solution?

Let’s start by strictly regulating what electricity providers can charge their customers. Then, let’s elect the state’s insurance commissioner to be accountable to voters, not the Austin politicians who make that insider appointment.

Most of all, let’s enact comprehensive health-insurance reform to make affordable health care accessible for every citizen.

As a former member of Galveston City Council, I know health insurance is the single biggest driver of local-government spending.

Holding down those costs will do more to ease the financial pressures on families, small businesses and school districts than anything my opponent and his Austin allies have accomplished in the past 20 years.

Texas is a prosperous, large state that has broad financial shoulders and we can use that statewide strength to support our public schools.

So, why are we pitting local independent school districts against each other in a financial zero-sum game?

Robin Hood may have had appeal years ago, in the face of great disparities in education funding, but now it has created larger problems and our leaders are slow to fix them.

Let’s fix the root problem and install into office a new class of leaders who will invest in our children’s and grandchildren’s futures.

Their future is Texas’ future.

Joe Jaworski lives in Galveston and is the Democratic Party’s nominee for Texas Senate, District 11.

Posted on August 29, 2008 | Return to the Latest News Archive