Dear Editor,

Save Texas Schools Rally was postponed due to the bad weather on the weekend in February it was to happen.

The free buses will be sent from large cities across Texas on April 5, 2025 to Austin for participants to Stand up for Public Schools then will return attendees back to their pick- up spots.

As before, the buses are free for riders if 30 people in an area will commit/register to ride the bus to Austin.

I’m still trying to get 30 people from Fairfield and our surrounding area to go.

We love our local schools! They are the cornerstones of our communities.

Our schools have not received new funding since 2019 and the buying power of those funds have diminished with inflation.

I’m looking for everyone that cares about their rural public school: school employees, retired school employees, school board members, parents’ organizations, parents, grandparents, students, community business owners, and any one that cares about teachers and students that are caught in the middle of this funding mess.

If you have questions, I will send you more information.

Contact Alicia Smith 903-388-0950 or e-mail at: als75840@yahoo.com

Go to : Save Texas Schools website or Facebook. Click the link and Register.

If you are not in my area you can still click the link and register, the organizers will know where you are and contact you of where buses are coming from that you can meet up with.

The time is NOW! Public Schools need you!

Countless Texas teachers and employees have given their lives for Texas school students be educated and grow up to be educated, successful, community members.

Alicia Smith
A supporter of public schools

from Save Texas Schools organizers

Join thousands of Texans from around the state at the 2025 Save Texas Schools Rally at the Texas State Capitol! Saturday, April 5th from 11 am to 1 pm on the South Steps.

The goal is to INCREASE FUNDING FOR TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

We need $1,300 per student per year to get back up to 2019 levels. No new funding has been given by the legislature since 2019, even though costs and needs have risen dramatically.

In fact, in real dollars, Texas Public Schools are receiving almost $10 billion less in funding (or $1,340 per student) each year than in 2019.

Many, if not most, Texas school districts are running in the red this year.

Texas schools have depended on federal COVID and ESSA funding to get through the last few years, but that funding has ended or is ending.

Meanwhile, leadership in Texas has held any increases to funding hostage to their private school voucher plan.

We have the resources to solve this crisis.

The Rainy Day Fund (meant for shortfalls in funding for public schools, health and other services) is projected to be over $25 billion in the next two years, far beyond the recommended amount to have in the fund!

IT IS TIME TO USE THE RAINY DAY FUND AND THEN FIX LONG-TERM FUNDING!

Join us on April 5th to reframe the conversation at the legislature from vouchers that will serve a few, to public school funding that will serve ALL Texas children.

We are currently ranked #46 nationally in spending on public education (2024) and consistently rank in the bottom half of states for educational outcomes, despite the great work our teachers are doing.

We can’t test our way into great education if we’re not supporting our kids and teachers with the resources they need! See you on April 5th!

Spread the word!