Recapture dollars, also known as Robin Hood funds, are when school districts take a portion of their property tax revenue to the state. The state then takes those funds and distributes them to lower income school districts with the intent to have similar amounts of money to spend per child in school district across Texas.
However, Keller ISD says they have no idea where these funds are actually going and said the state has a surplus.
"In lieu of them giving us more money that we should just give them more money, instead of funding schools appropriately is absolutely asinining," said One Keller ISD board member.
The Keller ISD school board held a special meeting on Monday Sept. 11 to pass a resolution stating that if they do not get clarity on where these funds being used they won't be paying them for the upcoming school year.
"What we're asking with this resolution and the previous resolution for some discussion about how those dollars are spent," said School Board President Dr. Charles Randklev.
Before the meeting started public comment was welcome with many of those who spoke calling this a political stunt to defund education.
"Refusing to pay recaptures is nothing more than a political stunt orchestrated by your handlers and the politicians working to defund public education," said one mother . "this is illegal and will not work, it will likely cause taxpayers more money."
Randklev refuted these claims stating that the board has worked with legislators to try to get resolution on their issues and concerns over the recapture funds but said this is unfortunately the next step to get the answers they need.
"The issues we have is there is zero transparency with the overflow of funds and they're balancing budgets that have zero impacts on students and educators," said another board member. "And I think that's what we're getting at we need transparency."
The resolution passed by a 5-1 one vote with the one board member who disagrees stating she doesn't think this resolution sends the right message and urges the board to continue navigating other options
"That's what it is, it's a bill. Do I like it? No, I certainly don't but it's there," said the one opposing board member. "And I think what we're telling people is we don't have to follow the law."
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She echoed the concerns of those who made public comment stating that she believes not paying with results in more fees than to actually pay.
However, Dr. Randklev argues against this reason to no pass the resolution.
"We have school districts that are sending anywhere from ten to fifty percent of their operating budget, we're not getting any revenue from the state what so ever, they're facing budget crises and this idea that we're just going to pay it just because is insane," said Dr. Randklev.
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