Boerne Bulletin: Advocacy Starts Now in Boerne ISD

Advocacy Starts Now

Every two years, Texans spend the summer months engaging in one of our proudest civic traditions: the biennial legislative session.

For public education, the 88th and 89th legislative sessions yielded big wins – increases in teacher pay, special education, and security funding, as well as the establishment of the support staff allotment and the allotment for basic costs.

In Boerne, we’re fortunate to have many citizens who proudly show up in Austin months – and even years – ahead of time to advocate for what’s right. This week, Boerne ISD Board Trustee Rich Sena was invited to testify to the Senate Committee on Local Government about the needs public schools are facing. In his testimony, he shared the impact the homestead exemption increases passed in the 89th session have had on Boerne ISD.

In conversation with Senator Paul Bettencourt, Mr. Sena confirmed that, “For those 65 and older, one thing they could count on was their school taxes going down.” For those on a fixed income, this is savings they can count on and adds up to real money. 

While in Austin, Mr. Sena and Boerne ISD Chief Financial Officer, Wesley Scott, also took the opportunity to meet with officials from the office of Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows and Senator Kevin Sparks to discuss the upcoming legislative session and how previous legislation impacted Boerne ISD after passage.