Option for Texas K-12 Education

This recent Star Telegram News report by Matthew Landner- special to the Star Telegram talks about the future opportunities in Texas education that will bring change.

The Texas public school system is overcrowded and prepares only a minority of students for success in college.

The Census Bureau reveals that Texas has one of the lowest rates of degree attainment among young adults.

Enrollment growth shows no sign of slowing, and the population of the state is rapidly aging as an increasing percentage of baby boomers reach retirment age. Texas needs better education results at the lower overall cost, Improving upon the efforts of other states in thinking outside the box can help to secure the future of the Lone Star State as an opportunity society.

Texas public school enrollment has grown from approximately 3.3 million students in 1990 to well over 5 million today. The resulting financial strain has required a steadily decrease in the percentage of funds going into the classroom and a steady increase in those needed for facilities.

Since 2000 the total expenditure per child has increased from $6,638 per pupil to $11,146. Debt service and capital outlay costs nearly doubled as a percentage of the total Texas public school budget.

Today less than half of all funds go to pay for instruction as teachers have been squeezed in district budgets to keep up with facility needs. But academic outcomes show a rate of improvement far slower than revenue growth, with a lower share of it reaching the classroom. Simply throwing more money at school districts will not solve the problem and likely won't be possible. What Texas needs, sooner rather later, are methods to improve the bang for the education buck. Parental choice policies could relieve the enrollment pressure on Texas public schools and broaden the options available to parents in order to fund an education that is a great fit, a key to academic success.

Since 2011, five states have adopted Education Savings Accounts to expand the menu of schooling options for parents. Texas could benefit enormously from such a program. ESA programs provide parents with a state- funded account with multiple uses for providing their child's K-12 education.

Parents can choose between paying tution at community colleges and private schools, online education programs, individual public school courses, certified private tutors or other uses.

Matthew Ladner is the senior adviser for policy and research for the Foundation for Excellence in Education.