Hundreds of Texas school districts are working together to lobby state lawmakers to make education the state's number one priority.
Monday morning they made public a partnership called Make Education a Priority.
More than 540 Texas school districts are lobbying lawmakers including Austin, Hutto, Leander, Round Rock, and Pflugerville ISDs along with several others in Central Texas.
Monday afternoon In East Austin parents and students rallied at Oak Springs Elementary school. They held signs and chanted, “save our schools.” Oak Springs is one of 15 schools that are on a possible closure list.
Jeanette Mota’s three grandchildren attend Oak Springs Elementary.
“My 7-year-old says, 'I love my school. I don't want it to close. Where am I going to go? What am I going to do?' I comfort him, and tell him we're not going to close. We can't let the school close,” Mota said.
The Pflugerville School District is also facing painful budget decisions. The District estimates $20 million must be cut; almost 20 percent of the budget.
“It's going to erode the foundation of everything we built for the past five years,” PISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said.
Because of the state's budget shortfall Texas administrators are working together, and asking lawmakers to make education a priority.
At the Austin Convention Center hundreds of administrators are sending lawmakers a strong message launching the Make Education a Priority campaign.
“We understand very clearly there are budget challenges, but we also understand the state has a constitutional obligation to fund public schools,” Superintendent of Northside ISD in San Antonio Dr. John Folks said.
Texas schools want lawmakers to spend $9 billion in state reserves known as the Rainy Day Fund. They also want legislators to find new sources of revenue and avoid education cuts.
