Advocacy for public education and GT education has become more important than ever. Multiple bills have been filed that could impact Texas GT students, and as a parent or educator of GT students, your voice is needed this spring. Please read on for news and easy action steps every GT parent can take right now to make a difference.
Texas Public Schools Need More Funding
Issue #1: Raise the Basic Allotment
Texas currently spends $4,400 less per student than the national average and ranks in the lowest 10 states in per-student spending. This funding has not increased since 2019 and has not kept up with inflation.
How can Texas fix this problem? Each year, districts receive a specific per-student dollar amount from the “basic allotment” – the main source of funding for Texas public schools – to be used in educating students. The basic allotment needs to be increased by over $1,300 per student per year just to keep up with inflation, according to public education supporters, but the latest funding proposal in the Texas House of Representatives would only increase the basic allotment by $220 per student per year.
Why should GT parents worry about the basic allotment? Although districts do receive some earmarked funding for GT programs (the “GT Allotment”), the GT Allotment is not enough to fully fund programs that meet GT student needs and follow state requirements, and the TEA has directed districts to also use basic allotment funds on GT programs. Unfortunately, when overall funds are tight, districts with leaders who do not understand or value GT education may choose GT programs for funding cuts. In fact, GEFN has already heard of planned cuts affecting GT programs in multiple Texas districts. Many Texas districts have been forced to close schools due to a lack of state funding, and more closures are expected if funding does not increase. To protect both GT programs and the needs of ALL Texas students, the basic allotment must be increased by significantly more than the current proposal.
Issue #2: Increase the Texas GT Allotment
The GT Allotment is a formula that provides additional earmarked funding to educate GT-identified students. As discussed above, this amount is insufficient to fully fund the GT programs students need, but it also does not provide funding for as many students as many districts should be identifying for GT services.
Although there is no cap on the number of students that Texas districts can include in GT programs, the GT Allotment only provides earmarked funding for a maximum of 5% of each district’s total students. Over the years, concerns have been raised that this funding cap could discourage districts from identifying more than 5% of students for GT services, since some districts may be reluctant to use other funds to serve additional students. This is especially problematic since districts need to work towards ensuring that identification processes do not miss students, including using tools such as universal screening (ensuring that every child has access to the process that examines whether a child needs GT services). Making these changes and serving additional students will require funding.
The good news: bills have been filed that would help fund GT services for more students. If passed, House Bill 977 (identical Senate Bill 1613) would raise the GT Allotment funding cap from 5% to 10% of each district’s enrolled students, and would take effect on Sept. 1, 2025. This increase would help ensure that ALL students who need gifted services can receive them in every Texas district.
Issue #3: Voucher Proposal Diverts Money From Public Schools
The Texas Legislature is currently considering proposals for vouchers / ESAs, which would divert money needed by our already-underfunded public schools and send taxpayer dollars to private schools that do not have to follow the same accountability standards. Advocates for public education oppose vouchers for many reasons, including their negative impact on student achievement in other states, but vouchers may be especially problematic for GT students. Private schools do not have to follow Texas GT education laws, meaning that even if private schools purport to offer GT services, there is no state oversight. Twice-exceptional students (gifted + one or more disabilities) would be doubly disadvantaged since private schools also do not have to follow federal disability laws or accept students with disabilities.
TAKE ACTION: Contact Your State Legislators Now!
It is important for your Texas state Representative and state Senator to hear directly from you on these issues. To make an impact, reach out to your legislators by phone or through their website contact form, and ask them to:
- Vote FOR increasing the GT Allotment (House Bill 977 and Senate Bill 1613), and consider co-sponsoring these two bills,
- Vote FOR increasing the basic allotment to fully account for inflation (at least $1,300 increase per student),
- Vote against legislation that would give tax dollars to schools that do not have to accept students with gifted needs or disability needs, and that do not have to follow laws to ensure these needs are met.
Contacting your Texas state Representative and state Senator is quick and easy! You can find their contact information here: https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home
At Risk: Federal Education Support, Including Disability Rights
Issue #1: Protect the Department of Education
A proposal has been discussed to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and to move enforcement of IDEA (the law that requires schools to provide Special Education services and IEPs) to another federal agency, such as Health and Human Services (HHS). Disability advocates have warned that this would harm all students in public schools, but would especially hurt students with disabilities. As parents and educators of gifted students know, many gifted students also have one or more disabilities (twice-exceptional). Multiple organizations have issued calls to protect the Department of Education, including National PTA, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, The Arc of the United States, and more. Although there is no federal requirement for gifted services, the Javits Grant Program has provided years of funding for important research on students with gifted needs, and it is also part of the Department of Education.
Issue #2: Protect Section 504 Rights and Accommodations
Gifted students with disabilities that do not require services in school but do require accommodations (possible examples: ADHD, processing disorders, or other disabilities) have the right to receive these accommodations because of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504” for short). Unfortunately, this law may now be at risk. In a lawsuit filed 9/26/24, 17 states – including Texas – have objected to part of Section 504, and their petition also asks the court to declare ALL of Section 504 unconstitutional (see Complaint, page 42, subsection (d)). If the court decides to agree with that request, people with disabilities could lose rights and protections that have been in place for 50 years.
TAKE ACTION: Contact Your U.S. Legislators Now!
To ask Congress to protect the Department of Education, you can find your U.S. Senators and Representatives here: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
To protect Section 504, the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund has created an action alert: https://dredf.org/protect-504/
The Future Depends on You.
We are all busy parents, and it may seem easier to sit back and hope that others will take action. Unfortunately, for many of these issues, there is no one else to act. It is up to us – each parent and each teacher of a GT student – to contact our legislators and let them know that these issues matter to YOU, their constituent. When the Texas GT Allotment was temporarily lost in 2019, not enough key lawmakers had heard from their constituents about the importance of GT education funding. This means that too few GT parents and educators contacted their legislators and made their voices heard. Please do not let Texas make that same mistake again.
Please consider acting now to support Texas public schools and the needs of ALL students with unique learning needs, including our GT students. The future of current and future Texas students depends on you.
The information in this post is current to the best of our knowledge on the date of posting. Changes happen quickly during legislative sessions, however, so parents may want to follow the below organizations for news about the basic allotment, vouchers, and disability protections. Nothing in this post is intended as legal advice and this post should not be relied on as legal advice.
Organizations to follow:
Texas AFT: https://www.texasaft.org/topics/government/legislature/
Raise Your Hand Texas: https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund: https://dredf.org/
National PTA: https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/take-action
Texas PTA: https://www.txpta.org/take-action
Gifted Education Family Network 