HOUSTON – Opponents of a controversial ballot question gathered Saturday in southeast Houston to urge voters to cast their ballets against Proposition One.
"This becomes a bucket to supplant education dollars, not to supplement," Houston Federation of Teachers President Zeph Capo said.
The teachers' union is against the ballot question.
As written, Proposition One asks voters to "authorize the board of trustees of Houston Independent School District to purchase attendance credits from the state with local tax revenues."
What that means is a question of whether HISD should send money to Austin, per state law, according to what's called state recapture.
Recapture is already on the books.
It requires school districts deemed property tax rich to send money to the state.
That money, in turn, is supposed to be used to help school districts that don't rake in top dollars from property taxes, sort of like a Robin Hood tax that works to keep the educational playing field even.
HISD is now considered a property tax rich District; so, it is required to pay $162 million in local property tax money next year to the recapture pot.
Over the next four years, the district, as well as opponents of Proposition One, said that cost will multiply.
"It's about taking a billion dollars from our schools," Mayor Sylvester Turner said, in a campaign advertisement.
Opponents of Proposition One, including Turner, said the question on the ballot is misleading.
Moreover, they accuse the recapture pot of taking money from HISD, which is considered wealthy in property tax revenue, has a majority of students who are not wealthy. Opponents said the billion dollar commitment would result in cuts to resources HISD currently provides.
"Removing dollars from our local classrooms and community and being send elsewhere," Juliet Stipeche, director of education in Turner's office, said.
Opponents said a yes vote would drain $1 billion over the next four years from HISD coffers, resulting in budget deficits and cuts.
"It's a complicated topic," said Ben Becker, an HISD parent and member of a group called HISD Parent Advocates that is urging voters to say yes.
"Vote yes, because it saves Houston ISD $231 million over the course of four years," Becker said.
Becker said voting no would cost HISD more money down the line. The state would take valuable property from the district to make up for lost revenue.
He also says the $1 billion price tag associated with keeping recapture would not result in the cuts opponents have stressed.
"We did 80 percent of the cuts necessary to pay for recapture this year. Those deficits decrease next year and go away," Becker said.
Both sides agreed that it was time to have a conversation about how our schools are funded, but any change would require legislative action.
That's the hiccup: opponents of Proposition One say a no vote would force the state's hand, leading to a new law being passed.
Those in support of Proposition One said that's the wrong approach. They said laws are meant to be followed.