Fast Growing School Districts Highlight Challenges, Opportunities Facing Public Schools
New Video Series Shines a Light on the Importance of State Investment in Fastest Growing Schools, Support for Teacher Workforce, Public Education
Texas’ fastest-growing school districts are raising their collective voice to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing Texas public schools, teachers, and students. Fast Growth School Coalition is launching a new video series to educate and engage public school parents, local communities, and state leaders to support smart investments in Texas public education and schools.
“Fast Growth School Coalition’s member districts experience tremendous population growth as businesses relocate or expand into these communities, creating both challenges and opportunities for these destination districts,” said Dr. Greg Smith, Executive Director of Fast Growth School Coalition and a former Clear Creek ISD superintendent.
“Our school districts want to make clear the importance of investing in and supporting public education broadly and its fastest growing school districts specifically,” added Smith.
The new “We Are Fast Growth” video series highlights what it means to be a fast-growth school district, including the unique challenges and opportunities facing these high-performing, fast-growing schools. For many fast-growth school districts, their ability to keep pace with student population growth is challenged by the state’s limited investment in public school infrastructure, placing an increasing burden on local taxpayers.
Additionally, the video series takes on some of the hot-button issues pending before the Texas Legislature this session, including the reasons to oppose school vouchers, the importance of investing in our teacher workforce, and the need to empower local school districts through economic incentives and local control. Watch the complete video series online at https://bit.ly/WeAreFastGrowth.
“Fast-growth school districts are critical drivers of local economic growth. Our schools make Texas more competitive for business, better prepare students to enter the workforce, strengthen local housing markets, and improve the overall quality of life in local communities,” said Susan Bohn, President of Fast Growth School Coalition and Aledo ISD Superintendent. “We want the Texas Legislature to invest in our schools and to equip and empower our local districts to meet the needs of our students, teachers, and community.”
Fast-growth schools or so-called “destination districts” tend to be located in areas of the state with rapid economic growth, business expansion, and significant population increases.
“A strong Texas economy and growing population mean fast growth school districts have to keep pace with this tremendous growth, building new facilities, hiring new staff and managing increased academic resource costs,” said Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Vice President of Fast Growth School Coalition and Tomball ISD Superintendent. “We need state leaders to invest in our public schools, not siphon money away from our schools through vouchers.”
“Fast-growth school districts are not only delivering high-quality public education, but these districts are also an integral part of Texas’ larger economy,” said Dr. Smith. “The decisions our state lawmakers are making in Austin this spring will profoundly impact the long-term progress and prosperity of not only our public schools but our larger economy.”
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Media contact: Jennifer Harris at [email protected]
About Fast Growth School Coalition
For more than two decades, the Fast Growth School Coalition (FGSC, fastgrowthtexas.org) has educated and advocated for investment in the state’s fastest-growing school districts to deliver the high-quality education Texas students and taxpayers deserve.
For a complete list of fast-growth school districts, visit http://fastgrowthtexas.org/member-districts/.
