Originally Posted By: olivant
It's important to keep in mind the fiscal effects of preventive measures. In Texas, about one half of funding for public schools comes from local property taxes while most of the remaining funding comes from the State. Depending on the additional security, funding of it could require a prodigious increase in local property taxes which currently far outstrips municipal and county property taxes. Given that Texas has a balanced budget provision in its Constitution, any additional State funding of education would have to demonstrate a revenue source to pay for it. Since Texas does not impose a property or income tax, voters would have to condier amending the Constitution to impleemnt one or both. The only other alternative would be increasig the State sales tax.


I absolutely agree. In my HS the annual costs of these measures were over $500k a yr, which is a bunch of money for a school to sustain when already grappling with other issues like overcrowding, lack of books, etc.


Tommy Shots: They want me running the family, don't they know I have a young wife?
Sal Vitale: (laughs) Tommy, jump in, the water's fine.