Alamo Heights ISD representatives visited the Capitol in January to visit with elected officials and members of their staff about the funding needs of Alamo Heights ISD.
The AHISD delegation included Dr. Dana Bashara, Dr. Frank Alfaro, Trustees Carey Hildebrand, Hunter Kingman and Lauren McLaughlin, Alamo Heights School Foundation Board Member Elizabeth Marceau and two students from the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, Jack Holliman and Ale Zapata.
“Being part of this trip taught me just how crucial it is for educators, parents, and community members to actively engage in the legislative process,” said Zapata. “I gained a deeper understanding of how policy decisions are made and how important it is to build relationships with legislators to advocate for public education. I also learned that while many lawmakers support public schools, they may not fully grasp educators and students’ day-to-day challenges unless we share our stories and data with them.”
Both students agreed that sharing their personal stories was an important part of their meetings with legislators.
“One of the most important messages I had for legislators is that we need to raise public school funding in order to keep Alamo Heights so special,” said Hollimon. “I told them stories about my classes and teachers like Mrs. Wogstad who helps me all the time even though she is swamped with work. She still makes time for me and my learning and puts me first.”
Due to inaction in the 88th Legislative Session to adequately fund public schools beyond the 2019 basic allotment, the Budget Committee of the Board of Trustees convened several times to develop a plan to cut the operating budget by $5 million for the 2025-2026 school year.
“It is more important than ever for our AHISD community to be actively involved in this Legislative session through ongoing communication with our state leaders regarding the needs of our students and staff,” said Dr. Bashara, Superintendent. “It is unacceptable to continue to be funded on 2019 allocations as we experience years of increased inflation and operational costs. Our students deserve so much more!”
How to get engaged and informed
The Board of Trustees has adopted Legislative Priorities for this Legislative Session. One of the priorities is to enlist community support in advocacy efforts.
Visit the AHISD website at www.ahisd.net to learn more about how to get involve with advocacy efforts and to review the AHISD Legislative Priorities.
