Aug. 12, 2003

Gov. Rick Perry Announces $4 million Plan to Help Rural Schools

Without Pay Advance, Schools Would Have Been Harmed by Democrat Walk-Out

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today announced that he has worked with Texas Education Agency (TEA) officials to prevent more than 40 rural school districts from losing state aid as a result of the action of 11 Democrats who walked off the job two weeks ago and shut down the legislature.

“These school districts were facing serious financial hardships,” Perry said. “While this fix is not permanent and the legislature still must eventually address the situation, the action today will mean that schools will not suffer financial setbacks just as they are gearing up for students to return to the classroom.”

The governor said TEA will advance payments to the schools that demonstrate need to eliminate loss in state aid they otherwise would have suffered. More than 40 rural schools were facing a significant loss of state aid as a result of a new state law that impacts how property appraisals are figured in the school finance formula.

Legislators overwhelmingly voted to fix the problem in the first special session, but 11 Democrat senators killed that bill when they walked off the job and moved to Albuquerque two weeks ago.

State law allows TEA to advance payments to school districts out of future funds owed to them. Without a legislative fix to the new state law, however, school districts will eventually have to pay back the additional funds.

“The 11 Democrats who continue to violate their oaths of office need to come back to Texas and get back to work on important issues – including funding for rural school districts,” Perry said. “Democrats who contend they are standing up for rural Texas need to explain why they were willing to jeopardize the education of the many young Texans who attend rural schools.”