In 2011, Save Texas Schools began as a statewide, nonpartisan movement to stand up against devastating budget cuts to public schools($10 billion) that were being proposed by the governor. In order to deal with a projected state budget deficit (which never happened), the burden of cuts was to be placed on the backs of Texas schoolchildren and their teachers. Over 12,000 Texans rallied at the Capitol and kept rallying throughout the session. Leadership heard the message, and, while cuts were made, they were less than half of what was proposed. By 2013, the cuts had been restored to the budget.

Since then, Save Texas Schools has rallied and stood up for reduced testing (which can take up as much as a full six-weeks period of class time in Title 1 schools) and community-based solutions and supports for struggling schools (instead of privatization and punishment). We’ve also joined with others to oppose private school voucher programs that take money away from all Texas schoolchildren to benefit a few.

We haven’t held a large statewide rally since 2017, but the current crisis in funding for public education has led us back to the Capitol. On Saturday, February 22nd, we are looking for thousands of Texans to stand up for Texas Public Schools and demand that the legislature and state leadership do their constitutional duty and adequately fund public education. In real dollars, funding for public schools has been trending downward for over 15 years.

Why do we rally?

Texas is at a crossroads in whether we are going to continue depriving, demonizing and privatizing our public schools, or whether we are going to do the hard work of investing in our children’s future. While the governor is claiming that  more is being invested in public schools than ever, the truth is that, in real dollars, funding has been CUT since 2019 by $10 billion, or approximately $1,300 per child. Not a penny has been added to to school funding since 2019, as any budget increases have been held hostage to a private school voucher plan that most Texans do not want. Increased costs for school districts from inflation, more need and unfunded mandates from the state, have left many, if not most, Texas school districts operating in the red. This is unsustainable.

While schools have been losing ground, the state coffers are overflowing with revenue from a booming economy. The “Rainy Day Fund,” which is meant to fund public education, health and other supports, is projected to have over $25 billion this year, and Texas has a budget surplus from the last session of over $30 billion! At the same time, the state keeps the pressure on schools through a broken testing and accountability system, threatening district takeovers while withholding the resources schools need to function.

Enough is enough! It is time to rally and rally again, changing the conversation from vouchers and privatization to STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR ALL TEXAS CHILDREN, with an accountability system that supports and provides the resources schools need to excel. Why should Texas be 46th in school funding per student and fall in the bottom half (or below) in school achievement, year after year? Why should Texas have the highest percentage of adults without a high school or college degree in the nation? Our schools are trying. Our students are trying. Our teachers and administrators are trying. Our parents are trying. Many of our legislators and local government leaders are trying. Now, it is time for the leadership to Texas to stop playing politics, stop holding money that does not belong to them hostage, and finally take care of the children of Texas, providing them with the great education they all deserve!

We’ll see you and thousands of others on Saturday, February 22nd at the State Capitol!

Save Texas Schools

Pastor Frederick Haynes from Dallas speaks about choice between education and incarceration at 2013 rally in Austin. Click here to see other speaker videos from past rallies.