ADVOCACY

            
WHY should I be an advocate for Hunters Creek Elementary School?

Our public schools are facing significant challenges. Despite a close to $40 billion state surplus, the lack of adequate state funding has forced Texas public school districts to make very difficult choices that include closing campuses, cutting staff, and eliminating programs.  

Texas’ public education funding model has put pressure on the Spring Branch ISD budget for more than 20 years.  The impact of the state’s model continues to have an outsized negative impact on Spring Branch ISD, and our bottom line each year.  At Hunters Creek Elementary, this hit hard last year with the loss of our beloved librarian and counselor – positions eliminated due to budget cuts forced by the lack of state funding for public education.  

Spring Branch ISD created a School Finance Advocacy Team (SFAT) in 2022 to educate and engage our community about the state’s public school finance model, its implications for Spring Branch ISD’s bottom line, and to ensure our elected officials understood and addressed the needs of our district.  SFAT is a loud and proud voice for SBISD and Hunters Creek Elementary in Austin during the Texas legislative session.  

Despite a $4 Billion allocation of state funds to public education in the 2023 legislative session, no bills were passed to appropriate (assign/spend) these funds to the more than 1,200 independent school districts in Texas, including Spring Branch ISD.  

Spring Branch ISD is among the most severely underfunded public school districts in the State of Texas according to a recent Rice university Kinder Institute for Urban Research report.    

HOW do I learn to advocate for public education and school funding in Texas?

Learn more about public school finance and its impacts on Hunters Creek Elementary, and then use your voice to support our current and future Cougars, Spring Branch ISD students, and the more than 5.5 Million Texas public school children – our future. 

https://sbisdcpta.org/newsletter/ - Sign up to receive local advocacy information and alerts from the Spring Branch ISD Council of PTAs

https://www.springbranchisd.com/engage/committees/sfat - Read up on the work and issues facing SBISD’s School Finance Advocacy Team and learn how to participate

https://www.txpta.org/legislative-priorities - Explore Texas PTA’s current public education and school funding legislative priorities for the 89th Legislative Session in 2025

https://texaseducatorsvote.com/who-does-what-in-public-education/ - Learn who does what in Texas public education from the local school board to the Governor’s office

Who Does What

WHO do I advocate with locally?

State Representative Mano DeAyala, District 133

https://house.texas.gov/members/4135 

State Representative Lacy Hull, District 138

https://house.texas.gov/members/138 

State Senator Paul Bettencourt, District 7

https://senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=7 

State Senator Joan Huffman, District 17

https://senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=17 

State Board of Education Trustee Will Hickman, District 6

https://sboe.texas.gov/about-tea/leadership/state-board-of-education/sboe-board-members/sboe-member-district-6 

WHEN can I get involved and voice my support for Hunters Creek Elementary School?

Make plans to join a delegation of committed and passionate Cougar families and community members in February 2025 as we travel to Austin to share our concerns and urge action in the 89th Legislature on public education and school funding issues.   

To learn more and get involved in HCE’s PTA Advocacy Committee, email hceadvocacy@gmail.com