Superintendents Are Calling Out Politicians More as Budgets Grow Precarious

District leaders are traditionally hesitant to engage in political debate

Stephanie Elizalde was clear in her recent State of the District address: Dallas students’ accomplishments have happened without adequate funding for education from state lawmakers.

Elizalde, in her second year at the helm of Texas’ second-largest district, was frustrated.

The Dallas district was in the process of approving a $1.9 billion budget, offsetting a $187 million shortfall by pulling from its reserves and cutting more than 700 positions. At the same time, there was a nearly $33 billion surplus in the state budget—none of which was given to schools. The state legislature hasn’t approved an increase in per-student funding in five years, according to The Dallas Morning News, while Republicans who dominate state politics have set their sights on legislation to start a private school choice program and accused public schools of indoctrinating students.