SPRING BRANCH – Spring Branch Board of Trustees unanimously votes to stop sending recapture payments to the state.
By voting, they are giving the superintendent the authority to enter into the contractual obligations to not send the state a check for millions of dollars.
“I am vehemently against delegating this authority at this time,” said Board Vice President Lisa Alpe. “I think that school districts across the state of Texas, who are recapture districts, are going to have to start standing up to Governor [Greg] Abbott, our legislature, [Texas Education Agency] Commissioner [Mike] Morath on behalf of the children of Texas that go to schools, public schools.”
Spring Branch ISD is one of several school districts in the state considered property wealthy. The district also maintains roughly 33,600 students annually. Since the district is property wealthy, with more property value per student than the state formulas allow, the state does a calculation to recapture revenue more than what the state says the district is entitled to – money that then goes to the state.
For example, for every dollar collected through property taxes, currently, 21% goes straight to the state, according to Christine Porter, the district’s associate superintendent for finance.
According to Porter, the district has sent over $200 million to the state in recent years.
The Texas Education Agency calls the process as excess local revenue and “these provisions are sometimes referred to as “share the wealth” or “Robin Hood” plan because recaptured funds are redistributed by the school finance system to assist with the financing of public education for all school districts.”
“At some point, enough is enough,” Alpe said. “We don’t have the money to be able to make this recapture payment without decimating our district’s resources, which negatively affects our children.”
Agenda item 11C ‘Request for Approval of the Chapter 49 Contract Option 3′ centers around the recapture payments. If the board votes ‘no’ it will “enable the district to reduce its local revenue” by not sending the payment.
“A vote ‘no’ will say we don’t want to pay the recapture in the current manner,” Alpe said.
A no vote would also not give the superintendent the authority to enter into the agreement with the state to purchase attendance credit, which is the way voters agreed to be how the district pays recapture.
“It’s a fairly routine item where each year we have to, the board of trustees, has to delegate the authority to our superintendent to make our annual recapture payment,” Alpe explained. “However, I expect that tonight we’re going to have a robust discussion about whether or not we’re going to do that or whether we’re going to tell the state to come and take it.”
This isn’t the first time the district leaders have challenged state leaders.
In the spring, during the legislative session, the superintendent and board members went to Austin trying to get lawmakers to increase the per student allotment. Leaders were hoping the funding would be $1,000 per student to meet up with inflations.
Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Blaine sent a worrisome letter to the community on possible ‘disastrous’ cuts.
The letter caused lawmakers to criticize district leaders.
“It is extremely concerning that school district leadership would threaten students and families with cuts in services and increased taxes while state aid to the district is increasing, the district’s fund balance is growing year to year, and the state is committing billions of additional dollars to keep school district tax rates manageable for homeowners,” said Senator Joan Huffman and Senator Paul Bettencourt in a joint April letter.
Alpe expects, if the board votes to not send the checks, the state could reduce state revenue payment or sell some of their property to other districts.
“We are certainly exploring all of our legal actions,” Alpe said.
KPRC 2 reached out to the Texas Education Agency on the Spring Branch ISD’s proposal but did not get a response as of publish time.
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