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Texas Agriculture Archive

April 21, 2006

TFB offers support for
school finance concept

Texas Farm Bureau supports the concept behind the leading plan to fix Texas' school finance problem, said Kenneth Dierschke, president of the state's largest farm organization.

As Texas lawmakers return to Austin for special session on April 17, the plan for school finance reform designed by Gov. Rick Perry and former Comptroller John Sharp will take the forefront.

The Perry-Sharp plan ultimately reduces the school property tax rate by 50 cents per $100 valuation within the next two years using a funding formula that enacts new business taxes, increases tax rates on tobacco and uses the state budget surplus to buy down property taxes until new tax revenue is collected. (See more details, Notes from Austin, page 15)

By so doing, early studies by the Texas Cooperative Extension Service show, most farming and ranching operations across Texas would realize more than $600 savings in the overall tax bills currently paid at the local level.

"Property tax reduction is a primary focus of the Texas Farm Bureau, and this appears to be a meaningful reduction in the tax burdens we all face," Dierschke said. "We appreciate the efforts of Gov. Perry and Mr. Sharp as they worked to find a better solution to fund our schools, and we look forward to working with the legislature to bring about additional tax relief for all Texans."

The legislature must come to an agreement by June 1 in order to meet the stipulations of the Texas Supreme Court, who ruled the current school funding program in Texas unconstitutional last year.