2015-04-07 12:31 Rep. Johnson (512) 463-8147 >> P 1/3 Pages: Urgent For Review Please Comment _| Please Reply 7] Please Recycle [TT Fax: phone: Siz- YLa- 0986 2 Volt tho Frat te2015-04-07 12:31 Rep. Johnson (512) 463-8147 >> P 2/3 TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (es CAPITOL OFFICE: DISTRICT OFFICE: P.O,BOX2910 ce 409 § LAMAR ST, SUITE 9 AUSTIN, TEXAS 707682910 DALLAS, TEKAS 75215 (Gia ss20586 OFICE ERIC JOHNSON (214) 565-5663 OFFICE (510) 463-8147 FAX (21d) 565.5668 FAX DISTRICT 100 * DALLAS April 7, 2015, VIA HAND DELIVERY ‘The Honorable Greg Abbott Governor of Texas State Capitol Room 28.1 Austin, TX 78701 Dear Governor Abbott: ‘Thank you for meeting with me and Representative Marsha Famey last week regarding your pre- Kindergarten legislation, House Bill 4, which will be debated on the House floor tomorrow. By designating early childhood education as the very first emergency item of your governorship, you have focused the Legislature's attention on an issue of eriticel importance to the future of ‘Texas; for that, I also thank you. 1 filed House Bill 1100 early this session based on a combination of your recommendations regarding pre-k as expressed in your “Educating Texans Plan: Pre-K - Thitd Grade” and hours of discussions with various early education experts and other stakeholders. |Representatives Marsha Famey, John Zerwas, Senfronia Thompson, and Mary Gonzalez soon igned onto House Bill 1100 as joint authors. While House Bill 1100 goes futher in certain areas (for example, requiring low instructor-stadent ratios, classroom size limits, ongoing thonitoring of instructor- student interactions, and a full day of instruction) than House Bill 4,1 dg believe your legislation has the potential to be a real game-changer in early childbood education in Texas (and likely the United States). I would like to be able to support it on the House floor tomorrow, however, for this to occur, I believe that House Bill 4 will need to do at least two things. 1. Provide approximately $300 million dollars of additional for schoo] districts to implement meaningful pre-K quality improvements (which could include moving from half day to full day instruction for those districts that wish to do so); and 2. Provide this additional funding through the Foundation Schoo] Program's education ‘famding formulas. COMMITTEES: + CALENDARS + ECONOMIC & SMATL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, VICE-CHAIR * ‘4 HOMELAND SECURITY & PUBLIC SAFETY2015-04-07 12:31 Rep. Johnson (512) 463-8147 >> P 3/3 If we do not provide sufficient additional funding to our school districts|for pre-K improvements and we do not add any additional participation requirements fo Honse Bill 4, then the near 100% participation rate we can expect on the part of our school districts will quickly dilute the amount of per pupil funding provided under House Bill 4 to an amount that is less than $650. This would not have the kind of impact that you and I both want on the quality of out staie’s pre-k programs. Furthermore, if any additional funding we provide to our school districts for pre-k improvements is through a grant program and not through the Foundation School Progtam’s education funding formulas, then our school districts will not be able to engage in any{ meaningful, long-term financial planning with respect to their pre-k programs because this additional money would be subject to biennial appropriation by the Legislature and therefore not be| very secure. In just the tuee sessions I have been a member of the Texas House of ives, I have seen our existing grant funding for pre-k improvements go from $200 milion to zero in one biennium, and then only go back up to $30 million in the next biemium, where it stands currently. 1 believe a bipartisan pre-k bill is a real possibility this session, and | understand those who would take a more incremental approach to improving our pre-K system|than the approach I laid out in House Bill 1100. 1 am willing to work with you and anyone else who ie sincere about improving early childhood education in Yexas, but I do believe that sufficient, formula-based pre-k finding is essential for House Bill 4 to gain maximum, bipartishn support in the Texas House. Sincerely, ie Johnson State Representative District 100