Keller ISD takes stand against 'Robin Hood' school funding mechanism

KELLER, Texas - Fed up with the state's school funding mechanism known as Robin Hood, Keller ISD's school board said they're not going to play along anymore. 

In a 5-1 vote Monday, the school board voted to not pay next year's recapture payment to the state. 

Keller ISD says the vote to defy the state is a last resort after it already asked lawmakers for an increase in the per-student basic allotment and to know where their recapture money was actually going. 

A defiant Keller ISD school board voted to send a message to the state that enough is enough. 

"The state is sitting on a multi-billion-dollar surplus. The argument in lieu of them giving us more money is we should give them more money instead of funding schools appropriately is absolutely asinine," said Keller ISD Trustee Chris Coker. "They are constantly looking for ways to get more money from the districts."

At issue is the funding mechanism known as Robin Hood that's existed in Texas for about 40 years. 

Property-wealthy school districts are required to send tax dollars back to the state so they can, in theory, be distributed to districts in need. 

"When Robin Hood started in 1983, 1984, the intent was wealth distribution," said Keller ISD School Board Vice President Sandi Walker. "And it has missed the mark. The issue is there is zero transparency with the overflow of funds."

Keller ISD trustees have been asking the state to show them what it is doing with the tax dollars collected through recapture. They say the state is not giving them any answers.

Many public education advocates are upset with the state legislature's failure to increase spending per student in the latest session despite soaring inflation.

Several school funding matters stalled in the stalemate over school vouchers.       

But Keller ISD Trustee Ruthie Keyes said she disagrees with the district refusing to pay what the state says it owes. 

"I would never tell one of my kids you don't have to pay your bills if you don't want to," she said.

"If I get a bill in the mail that I don't agree with or was mischarged, I will fight back," said Trustee John Birt. "I want to teach my kids that if you don't agree with something, you fight for what you think is right." 

The 5-1 vote is the second like it in the state. 

Two weeks ago, Spring Branch ISD in the Houston area raised a come-and-take-it flag over the administration building after their unanimous vote on defying recapture.

"That district has spent over 200 million in three years sending recapture money back to Austin. Are their kids in that district not worth any of that money?" said Keller ISD School Board President Charles Randklev. "The 2.5 million we sent back to Austin two weeks ago, are our kids not worth that money?"

It's unclear what sort of mechanism the state might use to as a consequence for districts that refuse to pay recapture. 

The board's vote is regarding next year's payment. So if there is a special session in October, Keller ISD says their vote might motivate lawmakers to make changes.