Dallas ISD and the Texas Education Budget Cuts

When the largest demonstration against $5 billion in education cuts during the 2011 Texas Legislative session only drew 13,000 demonstrators, the Texas Legislators saw little danger in making the cuts. Thus, for each one of those 13,000 demonstrators about 5 teachers and other staff lost their jobs, and 350 students were moved into more crowded classrooms all across Texas.  The bill that did this was SB1, Senate Bill 1.
 
One small example of the results of these cuts was acted out at last night's Dallas ISD Board meeting.  Eleven schools are being closed.  That decision was combined with other negative decisions.  The progress in DISD since 2006 is in danger:

DISD Enrollment & Graduation History 1996 through 2011
(Right click on the above chart to enlarge.)

The red cells in the chart above indicate graduation rate measurements going down from the previous year.  That has not happened in Dallas ISD in years!  But we will probably see these measurements begin to go down next year, or else the following year.  Here we are only looking at the numbers.  Think of the children they represent.  

The CPI measured graduation rate in Dallas has improved by over 23 percentage points since the Class of 2006!  Think of one of those percentage points as about 50 more Dallas children with diplomas.

Following is a list of Dallas area state legislators and their vote on SB1.  While the voting was generally along party lines, that is not always true.  Please print this out and join us in working to restore educational funding in the 2013 Legislative Session.

Dallas Area State Legislators 2011
(Right-click on the above chart to enlarge for printing.)

You may find more detailed information on the Texas Legislative Web site.  Be certain your legislators know your thoughts on this issue.