Pin Oak Middle School PTO

Community Events

This section is for community news for the area. News postings here are at the sole discretion of the PTO.

URGENT ACTION – School Funding
Houston students could lose up to $200 Million in funding over the next two years. Details are outlined below. Contact information for your Texas State Legislators can be found at http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

• HISD is in a unique situation because we are “property wealthy” even though we are “student poor.” As the state’s largest school district with over 80 percent of kids on free-and-reduced lunch, HISD is subject to returning local taxpayer money to the state because of our wealth status.
• If the legislature does not act this session, HISD could have to send up to $200 million of local taxpayer dollars to the state. This will take critical resources out of our classrooms.
• Per Chapter 41 of the Texas Education Code, if HISD is subject to returning local taxpayer dollars, then our school board would have to vote to hold an election to ask HISD voters for their permission to send their money to the state. The state would ultimately use these dollars to benefit poorer school districts elsewhere in the state – a concept called “Robin Hood.” If voters do not vote in favor of sending local taxes to the state, the Texas commissioner of education then has the authority to take actions to reduce our wealth status. One action is attaching parts of downtown Houston to non-contiguous school districts with higher tax rates which has serious implications for the business community.
• House Bill 1759 by House Public Education Committee Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock is a solution. This bill, if passed, would add $3 billion to public education in Texas over the next two years and would keep Houston ISD out of sending local tax dollars to the state for the 2016-17 biennium.

Education Advocacy Links

Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment (TAMSA)
TAMSA seeks to improve public education in Texas through the use of meaningful and effective student assessments that allow for more productive classroom instruction and more efficient use of public funds. For more information, click here: http://www.tamsatx.org

Raise Your Hand Texas
Raise Your Hand Texas advocates for students and strives to improve Texas public schools by investing in educational leaders and engaging the public to influence policy that strengthens our schools and the economy of our state. For more information, click here: http://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org

Children at Risk
Children at Risk is a nonprofit organization that drives change for children through research, education and influencing public policy. For more information, click here: http://www.childrenatrisk.org

Texas Association of School Boards
Texas Association of School Boards sends out informative weekly updates on the legislative session and bills affecting public education. For more information, click here: http://www.tasb.org