Some people have recently tried to downplay the impact of recapture on schools and taxpayers by saying the State and the federal government have already made sizable investments to help our schools. These points are recommended to provide some important context and facts.
- The 2019 state investment in public education, while helpful and appreciated, has turned out to be billions of dollars less than advertised at the time due to the fact that Texans are paying more than anticipated in local property taxes — and recapture.
- Even after the 2019 investments, Texas paid nearly $3 billion in recapture last year, which was more than ever before.
- The federal funding that has poured into schools over the last two years is intended to help combat the impact of COVID on students, including extra help to make up for lost instructional time and modifications to school buildings to mitigate the spread of germs. These were additional costs on schools rather than investments in the status quo.
- On top of that, inflation has grown by 7.4% in Texas over the past year, meaning that schools need additional resources to pay teachers and other school staff just to maintain their previous standard of living. Meanwhile, in a tight labor market, schools are struggling to find bilingual teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and other critical employees.