This is a huge problem. It could be simple incompetence at the state level in that they didnât respond to the audit in a timely manner. Or it could be an extension of Abbottâs war on public schools in yet another effort to undermine the system so that underperformance is guaranteed. I think itâs probably the former, but I wouldnât discount the possibility of it being the latter.
Either way, the buck stops with Abbott.
I mean being an a-hole is just how he rolls
Texas has been blessed with oil and gas that have filled the stateâs bank account for years, but particularly over the last decade or so. For our public school system to be among the worst in the nation reflects utter failure by state leadership.
This problem with SPED funding is just one example. Whatâs really stupid about what the state has done is that theyâve taken a $600MM problem that could have been mitigated by properly appealing, and theyâve turned it into a $1B problem by essentially shutting schools down in a blind attempt to âfixâ it.
Everyone associated with the response to that audit should be fired and publicly shamed. Itâs really egregious and a total unforced error.
Utah spends the least amount per student in the country
Utahâs academic performance has been recognized nationally, with Utah ranking second in the nation for education in 2024 and 13th overall in 2022:
- K-12 performance
Utah has been recognized for its K-12 performance, including higher than average test scores and learning rates. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Utah second in the nation for education, based on metrics like high school graduation rates, college readiness scores, and eighth-grade NAEP scores.
- Higher education
Utah has also been recognized for its higher education, including the number of international students enrolled in Utahâs colleges and universities.
- Teacher salaries
Forbes magazine ranked Utah as the second best state to be a teacher, considering factors like teacher salaries, cost of living, and retirement benefits.
- Digital learning
Utah was recognized for its commitment to digital learning, including the funding of the nationâs first Statewide Digital Teaching & Learning Masterplan.
However, Utahâs proficiency rates in English language arts (ELA) and math for the 2023-24 school year are lower than pre-pandemic levels.
- Why does Utah K-12 performance lead the nation? | Opinion
Jan 9, 2024 â Utahâs positive public education outcomes have recently been the focus of national attention. * The pre-COVID-19 StanfâŠ
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Deseret News
- Utahâs School Report Card: A short guide for parents
Oct 2, 2024 â Overall, statewide proficiency rates in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics continue to trail pre-pandemic leveâŠ
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The Salt Lake Tribune
- Success in Education Drives Utahâs âBest in Nationâ Ranking
Aug 30, 2024 â Utah was named the 2nd best state in the nation for education, just behind Florida, according to a U.S. News & World RâŠ
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Canyons School District
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Good for them. Our state has mismanaged public schools for so long that itâs going to take money to recover. Utah has prioritized public education instead of trying to marginalize it. They created a âPUFâ endowment for public schools and have a state income tax (in addition to property tax), and their schools also receive more money than the âper studentâ allocation that you may see reported. Regardless of that, theyâre getting more out of their investment.
Texas is always going to have to spend more per student because of the sparsely-populated areas that cover a big part of the state.
Texasâ problem is more than money, though. The state continually mandates âimprovementâ initiatives that are pushed by the special interests that profit from them. These rarely address any root problems, and they cost money to implement that the state doesnât fund. Then when it doesnât work in 3-4 years, they come up with something else thatâs equally asinine. They rarely engage school districts in a meaningful way to determine what needs to be done.
The inept leadership and lack of vision is what makes the initiatives ineffective and the expenditures inefficient.
Utah doesnât have a large percentage of English language learners, and its poverty rate is among the lowest in the country. Houston has high rates in both categories, which is why HISD schools are always going to come up short in academic ratings.
I bet their football stadiums arenât as nice, either. 
Was this to discourage immigrants from taking advantage of our school system?
I donât think that had anything to do with it. If it did, thatâs even more stupid because itâs not like theyâre going to go somewhere else if the school districts lose money.
Abbot thinks like that though.
Fair point. This just seems more like incompetence than evil genius. I donât know that Abbott would knowingly target a district like Katy ISD, which was disproportionately affected by this SPED funding fiasco.