EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A new statewide effort tied to a Texas gubernatorial campaign is aiming to elevate public school funding and policy issues ahead of November’s election, with El Paso among the communities taking part.

State Rep. Vince Perez, who represents House District 77, said State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who represents House District 49 and is the Democratic candidate running for Governor against incumbent Republican Greg Abbott, is launching a statewide initiative called “Team Texas Public Schools” to put public education to the forefront ahead of the November election.

Perez described the team as “a nonpartisan coalition of teachers, educators, elected officials, parents, students, everybody who cares about public education,” formed amid growing concern about school finances and staffing.

Perez cited the challenges across El Paso County, such as the El Paso, Socorro, Ysleta, Tornillo and Canutillo school districts, saying they are “struggling with funding cuts,” laying off teachers, increasing class sizes and reducing programming.

Perez said participants at the roundtable discussed how severe the cuts have become, including the fact that Tornillo had to cut UIL competitive football from its schools.

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Perez attributed the situation to multiple factors, including enrollment declines and what he described as long-frozen funding with minimal increases.

Perez said that when inflation is considered, schools have “really less funding than they did years ago,” and that teachers “on an inflation basis are being paid less than what they were in years past.”

Perez said the coalition is advocating for “increasing the basic allotment” and “getting rid of this voucher program that is siphoning off a billion dollars from our public schools.”

Perez said money spent on private school vouchers “would be put to much better use if it was put back into the classroom.”

Perez said similar roundtables will be held in Dallas, San Antonio and Fort Worth.

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