AND
AND WHILE
AND WHILE THE POPULATION OF CENTRAL CONTINUES TO GROW -- THE KVUE DEFENDERS
FOUND.PUBLIC
SCHOOLS DISTRICTS ACROSS THE
AREA ARE
SEEING FEWER CHILDREN - IN
CLASSROOMS.
AS PARENTS TAKE THEIR CHILDRENS'
EDUCATION INTO
THEIR OWN HANDS - IT COULD CAUSE
REAL PROBLEMS
FOR FUNDING THOSE SCHOOLS.
HERE'S TERRI GRUCA.
CLASS TIME LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT
THIS YEAR FOR SO MANY FAMILIES.
AHEAD AND GET YOUR MATH BOOK OUT
HERE AT THE BARBEE HOUSE --
WHERE THE PLAYROOM IS
NOW A CLASSROOM FOR ALL FOUR
KIDS.HOME.IS
SCHOOL.
KIDS.HOME.IS SCHOOL. RIGHT HERE
THE DECISION TO HOME SCHOOL
WASN'T EASY.
BUT WE JUST FELT IT WAS THE
RIGHT THING TO DO. SCHEDULE
WISE. I
COULDN'T IMAGINE HAVING TO KEEP
UP WITH THE SCHEDULE OF
VIRTUAL. I FELT LIKE DOING
THINGS IN OUR TIMING WAS BETTER
WHEN
YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE KIDS.
AT FIRST.IT WAS EVEN HARDER ON
THE KIDS.WHO
WERE ATTENDING SCHOOL IN ROUND
ROCK
ISD.
ROCK ISD.
ROCK ISD. JEREMIAH BARBEE/ 13 YEAR OLD I
WAS THE ONE WHO WAS BUMMED THE
MOST. I WAS LIKE I WAS, LIKE,
DEVASTATED. I WAS SO UPSET
NOEL AND STACY BARBEE ARE
PRODUCTS OF PUBLIC
SCHOOL THEMSELVES, BUT WITH A
FIVE, NINE, 10 AND 12
YEAR OLD -- HOME SCHOOLING WAS
THEIR BEST
OPTION.
6:06 BUT, YOU KNOW, DAY BY DAY,
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE BEST
DECISION FOR OUR FAMILY, OUR
FAMILY. 6:08
THE BARBEE'S AREN'T ALONE. ROUND
ROCK ISD HAS 25-
HUNDRED FEWER STUDENTS THAN LAST
YEAR.
JENNY CAPUTO / RRISD THAT'S
THAT'S A VERY REAL CONCERN. 4:49
IN
ROUND ROCK ISD THE STUDENTS,
WE'VE LOST THAT TRANSLATE TO A
13
MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS PUBLIC
SCHOOLS REPORT DECLINING
ENROLLMENT.
IN OUR FIVE COUNTY METRO AREA -
THE LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AUSTIN ISD HAS SEEN THE
GREATEST DECLINE.
IN FACT, FOR YEARS AUSTIN ISD
HAS BEEN LOSING STUDENTS AS
FAMILIES MOVE OUT OF THE CITY.
BUT THIS SCHOOL YEAR AISD IT
RECORDED ITS BIGGEST DROP IN
ENROLLMENT EVER-- DOWN 56-
HUNDRED STUDENTS.
THEN THERE ARE AREAS WITH
GROWING SUBURBAN
POPULATIONS LIKE LEANDER WHERE
ENROLLMENT IS ALSO DOWN.11-
HUNDRED FEWER STUDENTS THIS YEAR
AT LEANDER ISD.
PFLUGERVILLE AND HAYS CISD
REPORT THE SMALLEST DECLINES.
ROUND ROCK ISD HAS 25-HUNDRED
FEWER STUDENTS THAN LAST YEAR.
THAT'S A VERY REAL CONCERN. 4:49
IN ROUND ROCK ISD THE STUDENTS,
WE'VE LOST THAT TRANSLATE TO A
13
MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE GENERALLY
FUNDED BY
STATES ON A PER-PUPIL BASIS. AND
SCHOOL DISTRICTS MUST SUBMIT AN
OFFICIAL
ENROLLMENT COUNT TYPICALLY IN
OCTOBER TO
DETERMINE THEIR FUNDING FOR THE
SUBSEQUENT
YEAR.
SUBSEQUENT YEAR. THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
AGREED TO EXTEND
FUNDING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
THROUGH THE
END OF 2020-- WHICH KEEPS SCHOOL
FUNDING AT
LAST YEAR'S LEVELS.
BUT THE BIG CONCERN NOW IS WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER
DECEMBER.
LIKE MOST AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTS
80 PERCENT OF
ROUND ROCK ISDS BUDGET GOES TO
PERSONNEL.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE DISTRICT
OPERATES WITH
A SURPLUS -- NO ONE KNOWS WHEN
ALL THE STUDENTS WILL
RETURN.
SO THERE IS A REAL POSSIBILITY
OF CUTS.
JENNY CAPUTO SUPERINTENDENTS
ARE ASKING THE TEXAS EDUCATION
AGENCY IN THE STATE TO PLEASE
EXTEND THAT HOLD HARMLESS
FUNDING BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE ISSUES AS STUDENTS ARE
GOING TO RETURN. IF WE HAVE TO
MAKE STAFFING CHANGES AND
THEN THEY RETURN, IT'S JUST A
DISRUPTION. AND WE ALSO KNOW
THAT WHEN STUDENTS RETURN,
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A COVID
LEARNING SLIDE TO DEAL WITH AND
THAT MEANS INTERVENTION AND
MEANS MORE RESOURCES.
AS FOR WHETHER THE BARBEE'S
DECISION HURTS
ROUND ROCK ISD WHERE THEIR
CHILDREN ATTENDED..
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I MEAN,
THIS IS A QUESTION THAT WE
HAVEN'T
REALLY CONSIDER BECAUSE WE'RE
CONCERNED THAT WE'RE DOING
WHAT'S THE BEST FOR OUR FAMILY.
THE LEARNING CURVE IS GREAT -
EVEN FOR FAMILIES LIKE
THE BARBEE'S THAT HAVE HAD THE
LUXURY OF WORKING AND
SCHOOLING FROM HOME.
BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THEY ARE NOT
ALONE.
3:34 ACTUALLY, IN OUR INNER
CIRCLE, WE KNOW FIVE FAMILIES
THAT.
ARE HOMESCHOOLING THEIR KIDS, AT
LEAST 16 KIDS. I
KNOW THAT'S JUST IN OUR INNER
CIRCLE THAT ARE HOMESCHOOLING
OUR KIDS. 3:46
IT'S HARD TO IGNORE THE NEWFOUND
FREEDOM AND
FLEXIBILITY SCHOOLING FROM HOME
HAS BROUGHT MANY
FAMILIES LIKE THEIRS.
12 YEAR OLD JEREMIAH, WHO
DREADED THE DECISION TO
HOMESCHOOL AT FIRST-- HAS FOUND
HIS NICHE.
NATS FROM HIS BROADCAST
ON TOP OF HIS SCHOOL WORK, HE'S
NOW CREATING
WEEKLY NEWS BROADCASTS FROM
HOME.
NATS
HOME. NATS AND THE HOMESCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
HAS BROUGHT
OUT SO MUCH THE BARBEE FAMILY
DIDN'T EXPECT.
7:40 I'VE GOT MY 12 YEAR OLD
HELPING THE LITTLES. AND SO
FOR ME THAT'S BEEN REALLY COOL
IS FOR ALL OF THEM TO HELP EACH
OTHER. AND SO THAT'S BEEN
SURPRISING FOR ME, IS IT'S NOT
JUST ABOUT ME BEING THE TEACHER.
IT'S ALL OF US
DOING IT TOGETHER, 7:57
TAG
DRIPPING SPRINGS AND LIBERTY
HILL BOTH HAD
INCREASES IN ENROLLMENT THIS
YEAR DESPITE COVID.
SO WHERE ARE ALL OF THE STUDENTS
FROM THE OTHER
DISTRICTS GOING?
IT'S ANYONE'S GUESS.
MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE
REACHING OUT TO FAMILIES BUT
TEXAS DOESN'T REQUIRE FAMILIES
TO REPORT THAT
INFORMATION TO THE DISTRICT IN
WHICH THEY LIVE.
FOR THE KVUE DEFENDERS, I'M
TERRI GRUCA.
TERRI GRUCA.
ENROLLMENT IN DRIPPING SPRINGS AND LIBERTY HILL BOTH WENT UP THIS YEAR DESPITE COVID.
AS FOR HOW MUCH FUNDING PUBLIC
SCHOOLS STAND
TO LOSE ACROSS THE STATE, WE'LL
KNOW MORE BY