Funding still a concern

All good things come to an end, as they say. But for Aledo ISD’s Board of Trustees, along with countless districts across the Lone Star State, the school funding issues with the state legislature in Austin can’t end soon enough.

The Texas Legislature began its fourth special session on Nov. 7 to try to determine how to allocate the $4 billion surplus earmarked to fund public schools across the state. When Aledo’s Board of Trustees met on Monday, Nov. 13, not only was the question still unanswered as to when districts can expect the money to trickle out of Austin, but the prospects of getting resolution in the matter remain bleak at best.

Holding the gridlock in place is a desire by the State House and Governor Greg Abbott to hold public school funding hostage until a voucher program is established as well. In the Senate, the question has been decoupled with vouchers being filed as a separate bill than that of school funding. 

Both chambers remain entrenched in their position regarding vouchers and funding, which leaves districts across the state, including Aledo ISD, in the untenable position of having to adopt deficit budgets for the 2023-24 education year.

Board Secretary David Lear and Superintendent Dr. Susan Bohn were accompanied by several other administrators and teachers from around the district on a trip to Austin earlier in the fall. It was an attempt to persuade state legislatures to fund public education in short order before districts around the state are forced to start making dramatic cuts to personnel and programs.

While in Austin, they were able to sit in as Aledo’s state legislator, Dr. Glenn Rogers, read a resolution on the House floor to commemorate Tim Buchanan and Steve Wood’s contribution to Aledo.

Board of Trustees President Forrest Collins voiced his appreciation to all the teachers, administrators, and parents who have contacted their legislators to impress upon them the importance of distributing those education dollars to districts across the state of Texas.

Drawing lines in the dirt

Another important piece of business discussed during the meeting was to announce the board will be appointing an advisory committee dubbed the Attendance Zone Committee. They are community volunteers tasked with drawing the zoning lines for the new Lynn McKinney Elementary School (LMES). 

The group will advise the board on their recommendations where the zoning lines should be to determine which students will populate LMES when it opens in August of 2024. Volunteer applications are now available. 

The district sent out emails on Tuesday, Nov. 14, to parents within the district for them to apply, if interested.

PTO food drive an un-canny success

Last week Aledo’s PTO completed their annual canned food drive with great success. So much food was donated by the community that the PTO was able to use the collected items to stock shelves at the Manna Room Food Pantry at the Aledo United Methodist Church, and at the Parker County Center of Hope.