AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy today published a joint op-ed highlighting the results of a comprehensive study examining the opportunity for Texas ISDs to realize efficiency gains through the use of competitive contracting. As evidenced by Michigan’s experience, competitive contracting offers Texas ISDs a lot of upside potential.
“Money that ought to be going to classrooms is instead being lost to the educational bureaucracy,” said James Quintero, Director of the Center for Local Governance at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “As evidenced in other states, Texas ISDs can realize substantial efficiency gains by contracting out non-instructional services, like transportation and food services, which can then be redirected to the classroom to provide kids with school supplies and textbooks.”
"What superintendent couldn’t use an extra $100 per student?” said Michael LaFaive, director of fiscal policy with the Mackinac Center. “These types of savings—perhaps more—are available to many districts contracting out just one of three major non-instructional services.”
For more information or to request an interview with Mr. Quintero or Mr. LaFaive, please contact Caroline Espinosa at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
James Quintero is director of the Center for Local Governance at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.