While it still feels very much like summer, another school year is now underway with both uncertainty and opportunity. As San Marcos students enter their classrooms, we need to do everything reasonably possible to protect their health, while investing in their education and empowering them to grow as students and as individuals. My strongest commendation to the San Marcos CISD Board of Trustees for standing up for our students’ health through universal masking and rejecting Governor Abbott’s politically-motivated orders.
Protecting our Public Schools: When President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in the one-room Johnson City school h o u s e where he was taught as a child, he described education as the “only valid passport out of poverty.” He said he chose the signing location “to be reminded and to remind others of that magic time when the world of learning began to open before our eyes.”
More than 50 years after LBJ signed that bill into law, I am working to ensure public education is protected, higher education is affordable, and all children have the opportunity to stay healthy and reach their God-given potential.
This year, in Congress, we passed billions in emergency education COVID relief funds for Texas schools. Unfortunately, Governor Abbott attempted to divert much of this education aid away from school districts. I led the effort, joined by parents and education leaders across the state, to see that our San Marcos trustees decide how to use these funds, not someone else. Though some funds were supplanted, we successfully protected more than $11 billion for Texas schools, up to $26 million of which is headed to San Marcos CISD. Those federal funds mean increased counseling, academic interventions, tutoring, and technology. Further, our American Rescue Plan also secured more than $600,000 for San Marcos Head Start programs, and $18.1 million for the City of San Marcos
Even after a Rattler obtains a diploma, too many face financial obstacles to furthering their education. Our American Rescue Plan has provided some immediate assistance with significant federal funding for community colleges and universities. Texas State, for example, has received $92 million of which half goes directly to student financial assistance. These funds enable Bobcat Cares Emergency Grants for which students can apply beginning tomorrow.
Additionally, I have supported legislation to limit interest rates on federal loans and to provide more assistance, such as the Equitable Student Aid Access Act, which became law in December 2020 in the COVID relief legislation; it helps ensure that, as the cost of college rises, so too does the federal support that students receive. I also wrote provisions in the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), which authorized a tax cut of up to $10,000 on education expenses such as tuition, textbooks, and fees.
My Student Aid Simplification Act, some provisions of which were passed in 2019, assists families completing the FAFSA importing financial information for many with just one click.
Strengthening the San Marcos Community: The best way to secure a safe, healthy school year is by getting protected from COVID-19 and this new, dangerous Delta variant — your whole family can stay safer if both parents and children over the age of 12 get immunized immediately.
Getting protected is totally safe — both free and freeing for our families and our community as we combat this dire surge of cases. Learn where in Hays County you can receive a vaccine by visiting https://hayscountytx.com/.
Working for You: As students settle into their classrooms, I too will be at my desk, hard at work, ensuring your priorities are my priorities. We welcome students—current or alumni—to participate in our internship programs. Students interested in an internship should forward their resume and cover letter to [email protected].
As always, I welcome your counsel or questions about the challenges we face in education and other federal matters. Whether we have a similar perspective or a different one, let me hear from you, especially in these challenging times.
I’m cheering on our students, as our children and families together work to overcome extraordinary obstacles to create a safe and enriching atmosphere this fall. As you all hit the books, I am confident that this will be a year for the books. Go Rattlers, go Bears, and Eat ‘em Up, Cats!
