State funding affects district

State+legislators+in+Austin++are+currently+debating+a+bill+that+would+partially+tie+teacher+pay+to+student+performance.

State legislators in Austin are currently debating a bill that would partially tie teacher pay to student performance.

Annabelle Archer, Staff Reporter

Since the budget cuts of schools in Texas in 2011, there have been few improvements in the financial status of public education systems. But that could soon change as the state legislature is considering a slightly bigger state budget .

“We had to ask the fundamental question: Do we want to do what’s right for the state of Texas and the children of Texas, or do we want to sit around and try to play lawyer and outguess the courts?” Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen said in the Texas Tribune.

The 2011 cuts had an impact on almost every school district in Texas, including Lovejoy and it’s many departments.

“We have cut support positions throughout the district including library aides, groundskeepers, and the middle school SRO,” Superintendent Ted Moore said. “We also have suspended the Spanish program in grades kindergarten through 6th.”

The cuts were made to ensure that the student experience would be the same, so the money would be very beneficial. Also, the district itself handles the finance for all of the schools.

“All funding is provided to LISD, not specifically to LHS, and decisions on how those funds are spent are determined at the district level,” principal Chris Mayfield said. “The cuts that have been made over the last several years have been intentionally done to try and keep the student experience the same. As a result, many of the cuts have taken place in our central administration office and non-instructional personnel. If we do get additional funding, we would see a benefit across the district in a variety of ways.”

However, with the current legislation, the addition to the budget would not affect the district.

“Under the current legislation, even though the State of Texas is considering adding three billion, none of that money will come to Lovejoy,” Moore said.