FGSC kicked off Wednesday with a legislative update as David Anderson from HillCo provided insight on what educators can expect from the next legislative session, affirming addressing learning lag will be key for all districts. Anderson told an audience of fast growth school leaders that tax credit and voucher discussions are expected to continue at a legislative level and he also confirmed workforce shortage will be a focus, noting TEA said that something has already been in the works.
During the conference, FGSC hosted the K-12 Student Demographic Trends in Texas panel where district officials heard about the massive growth of communities throughout Texas, with growth and inflation continuing the downward pressure on school districts that need to build and provide facilities for students. This harsh environment was further described during the Art and Science of Passing a Bond panel also hosted by FGSC. The panel agreed that although things work differently in each community, in every community it comes down to trust and transparency.