Decibel
‘We’re All In It Together’: Community Fights For School Fund
Clip | 4m 27sVideo has Closed Captions
Pflugerville community fights for school funding from the state legislature.
Earlier this year, Pflugerville ISD almost closed several schools because of a multi-million dollar budget deficit. Now parents and teachers are lobbying state lawmakers for increased public education funding.
Decibel is a local public television program presented by Austin PBS
Funding for Decibel is provided in part by Texas Mutual and Roxanne Elder & Scott Borders
Decibel
‘We’re All In It Together’: Community Fights For School Fund
Clip | 4m 27sVideo has Closed Captions
Earlier this year, Pflugerville ISD almost closed several schools because of a multi-million dollar budget deficit. Now parents and teachers are lobbying state lawmakers for increased public education funding.
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Hi, my name is Suzy Moore and I'm a volunteer and the PTO secretary at Palmer Lane Elementary in Pflugerville ISD.
My name is Elena Bessire and I am a dual language kindergarten teacher.
My name is Maria del Rocio Luper.
I am the PTO president of Pflugerville Elementary.
Hi, I'm Amy Mackenzie.
I'm a mom who has a ten-year-old son in Pflugerville Elementary.
Somebody posted on a Pflugerville mom's Facebook group, like, Hey, have you heard about these school closures?
What are we going to do?
And then we started just getting more details from there about it's a budget issue, Pflugerville had just entered recapture.
It was very somber, learning that our beloved school might be closed, that that's how we learned.
[Amy] I was genuinely surprised that they changed their mind.
[Supt.
Killian] I'm not going to make a recommendation to close the school tonight.
Not going to make a recommendation for closure for next school year at all.
I'm going to continue to try to work magic with smaller cuts and state advocacy.
[Elena] The whole school closure scare that we went through this school year would happen again next year if the state does not put in more funds.
Districts will be forced to close.
[Suzy] Now we're all in it together to go lobby at the state.
I really want you guys to pay so my kids can get an education.
Having it hit so close to home with our school facing closure activated me and so many people in our community.
[Elena] It's made me see that, yeah, my my activist spirit is very strong in this area.
And so I'm going to utilize it.
Called my legislators.
I've written emails.
I've left my email testimony.
So I ask if he can.
[Suzy] We organized a little advocacy training with Raise Your Hand Texas.
It's like everybody's following these different advocacy groups and we're sharing with each other.
Hey, this this voucher thing is going through.
Call so-and-so and say no.
Unfortunately for teachers, a lot of us, it's hard for us to get down to the capital because we would have to take off a day of work.
[Rocio] A lot of parents, if they take they day off, they might not be paid that day.
Make the smart decision to invest in Texas public schools.
So I am very thankful for all those parents, that can be able to go and advocate, but not everybody can do it.
[Amy] You can get involved at the state level, and I think that's wonderful.
I just feel like there's an opportunity to have more impact at a local level.
During the last school board election, I got involved with my neighbor in setting up the school board debate.
[Rocio] And so I we're telling the parents, the ones who can vote, to vote.
If they cannot vote, doesn't matter.
They need to communicate.
They have children, attending the district, probably children that's born in America.
So they need their parents to advocate for them.
[Elena] In this moment I'd say, I'm not super hopeful of of of things being really turned around to where there's not massive changes.
So my hope is that we can eventually get there.
I don't know if it'll be this legislative session, though.
[Rocio] I believe all the schools are on the chopping block.
I don't think any school is safe at this point.
[Amy] I don't think that we'll have a rash of closings or anything like that.
But I do think unless the state finds a way to increase funding per student, these issues aren't going to go away.
Who would like to see someone?
[Suzy] The feeling of helplessness, not being able to do anything is is awful.
So being able to take action and like call legislators and do those things and be able to be more informed and a little more connected with the process alleviates that feeling of helplessness a little bit.
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