Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

AUSTIN – More than 70 percent of Texans believe the school finance plan passed by the Legislature last year was only a "temporary Band-Aid" because all the new tax revenue was earmarked for property tax cuts instead of education, according to a new poll released Monday.

The random telephone survey of Texas voters, conducted jointly by Republican and Democratic pollsters, also found that a solid majority – 60 percent – believe there is too much emphasis on standardized testing in public schools.

And one-third of those polled identified public education as the state's top priority, well ahead of such other issues as health care, illegal immigration and cutting property taxes. Only 10 percent of those questioned said lower property taxes should be the state's number one priority.

The president of the Texas State Teachers Association, which paid for the poll, said the results should make legislative leaders reluctant to say "mission accomplished" when it comes to fixing the state's up-and-down school funding system.

"As it turns out, the majority of Texans know exactly what is going on," said Donna New Haschke, president of the association. "The proceeds from the new business tax were dedicated to property tax relief last year, but the new tax isn't even paying for all the tax cuts, much less generating revenue for education."

And, she added, "State leaders continue pushing budget proposals that emphasize property tax relief at the expense of important education priorities."

Ms. Haschke cited a preliminary legislative budget plan that would reduce funding for some education programs, including one that helps students at risk of dropping out of school or those who have failed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.

Legislative leaders have stressed that funding for those programs could be restored as the lawmakers hammer out a new state budget this year.

The plan approved by lawmakers in a special session last year cut property taxes by a third over two years. Billions of dollars in lost property taxes were replaced with higher taxes on businesses and smokers.

The plan also used a state budget surplus to give all teachers a $2,000 raise and increase funding for school districts an average 4 percent.

The education poll was conducted jointly last month by Harstad Strategic Research Inc. and the Tarrance Group. Harstad does polling for Democrats, while the Tarrance Group serves many GOP clients.

A total of 802 active voters were questioned in the survey, with 42 percent identifying themselves as Republicans and 33 percent saying they were Democrats.

The poll's margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.

33% call public education the highest priority for state government (23% chose health care, the second-most common response)

61% say the state is spending too little on education (26% say it's the right amount; 9% say it's too much)

81% say the Legislature has more work to do to properly fund public schools (12% say it has addressed the issue)

60% say the state places too much emphasis on standardized tests ( 26% say it's the right amount, 10% say it's not enough)

SOURCE: Tarrance Group/Harstad Strategic Research Inc. poll of 802 voters, conducted Jan. 22-25. Margin of error: plus or minus 3.5 percentage points