District ranks sixth in contributions to state redistribution program
Even as area school districts consider scaling back programs and staff to account for deep budget cuts, one annual expense is unavoidable: Chapter 41 recapture.
Also known as “Robin Hood,” the state’s redistribution program that funnels money from property-wealthy school districts to property-poor districts started in 1993. And the 354 districts that qualified for Chapter 41 status last year sent roughly $1.12 billion of local tax revenue to the state for redistribution.
Altogether since Robin Hood’s inception, more than $15 billion has been recaptured, and experts anticipate the current year will be the 10th for recapture payments to exceed $1 billion. Both Grapevine-Colleyville and Carroll ISDs — which rank sixth and 25th, respectively, in total recapture paid to date — adopted deficit budgets this year. Meanwhile, about 30 percent of local tax revenue in GCISD and 27 percent in CISD will go toward recapture this year. Area districts are hoping that the next legislative session and/or a number of lawsuits that have been filed against the state that argue it is not properly funding public education will provide relief, but for now, educators say the situation is “scary.”
“That money turns into jobs, it turns into programs and it turns into impacting students, and that’s what we don’t want to happen,” GCISD spokeswoman Megan Overman said.
Latest Comments