HB 11 by Dutton Jr.: Anti-Taxpayer

HB 11 seeks to amend the Education Code to set out provisions relating to the rights and certification of public school educators, including financial and other assistance provided to public schools by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) related to public school educators, methods of reading instruction in public schools, certain allotments providing for compensation for certain public school teachers under the foundation school program, and to rules adopted by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). HB 11 has a negative fiscal impact of nearly $504 million through the biennium and an increasing taxpayer burden every year thereafter. School districts in Texas are already flush with cash, with many also sitting on taxpayer money sent by the federal government. Instead of appropriating additional money for these purposes, school districts should be forced to provide for such things from existing resources. A good start would be to address the administrative bloat. HB 11 does not do this. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 11.