AUSTIN, Texas—How Texas school districts will cope with new legislation passed in the special session on school finance will be the focus of a free, informational media seminar on Friday, May 12 at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.
Hosted by former Texas State Representative Sherri Greenberg, the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Wasserman Media Room on the third floor of the LBJ School, and will be webcast live on the LBJ School’s Web site.
Panelists include David Duty, director of intergovernmental relations at the Austin Independent School District; Mark Diaz, superintendent of the Manor Independent School District; and Tom Glen, superintendent of the Leander Independent School District.
“The new legislation passed in the special session will affect the way Texas School districts operate for many years to come,” said Greenberg. “Our goal is to learn how school districts with diverse needs will deal with the changes.”
The school districts participating on the panel vary in size, demographics, wealth and other factors. Austin ISD is an urban school district that serves 78,000 students on 107 campuses. Leander ISD serves 22,000 students in 25 schools in a mixed rural and suburban district. Located just outside the Austin city limits, Manor ISD serves about 4,500 students.
Of these districts, Austin ISD and Manor ISD are classified as chapter 41 for the 2005-06 fiscal year, meaning they fall above the equalized wealth limit and are required to give a portion of their tax dollars to other districts.
“This panel is a representative sample of school districts in the state,” said Greenberg. “It’s an excellent opportunity to bring together those affected by the legislation in a nonpolitical forum.”
Greenberg, who joined the LBJ School in 2001, holds the Max Sherman Chair in State and Local Government as a fellow. She was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1991-2001. Her areas of expertise include state and local government, public finance and budgeting, education, electronic government, nonprofits, and campaigns and elections.
To submit questions for consideration for the panel discussion, e-mail megan@mail.utexas.edu by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 11. The LBJ School of Public Affairs is located at 2315 Red River St. in SRH Unit 3. For additional information about this event call 512-471-8954.
For more information contact: Megan Scarborough, LBJ School, 512-471-8954.
