Independent Candidate L.D. Howard Warns of "ADA Funding Black Hole" Following San Antonio Student Walkout Schedules
Contact: Team L.D. Howard
Campaign Email: coms@teamldhowardfortexas.com
Website: teamldhowardfortexas.com
SAN ANTONIO, TX – L.D. Howard, Independent candidate for Texas House District 124, issued a formal statement today regarding the coordinated "Student Walkout Protests" scheduled to impact multiple West Side campuses on Jan. 30, 2026. While affirming the passion and dignity of the district's youth, Howard is urging families to understand the "Average Daily Attendance" (ADA) funding risk that threatens to further destabilize a school system already navigating historic budget deficits.
According to promotional materials circulated by the group "Liberal Moms of San Antonio," a wave of walkouts is scheduled for January 30 at schools serving the West Side and Greater Lackland, including John Jay (12:45 PM), Stevens (1:33 PM), Warren (2:30 PM), Southwest (12:00 PM), and CAST STEM (12:30 PM).
“As a 20-year Air Force veteran and a business owner, I understand that every mission requires a sustainable resource plan,” said Howard. “In Texas, our schools do not receive funding based on the number of students enrolled, but on the number of students physically in their seats. When hundreds of our young people walk out of class, they aren't just making a statement—they are inadvertently creating a financial 'black hole' that hurts our most vulnerable students”.
Texas is one of only six states in the nation that utilizes the ADA metric for school finance. Under this system, if a student is absent during the official attendance count—even for a peaceful protest—the state does not provide the daily allotment for that student. The real-world impact on District 124 includes:
• Compounding Deficits: Northside ISD is already navigating a $38 million budget shortfall, while SAISD faces a deficit of approximately $40.8 million.
• Lost Services: Every day of mass absenteeism risks the loss of state dollars used for special education, instructional materials, and teacher salaries.
• Campus Stability: Previous attendance-based funding losses contributed to the 2024 "rightsizing" crisis, which saw the closure of 15 SAISD campuses.
Howard’s "Love in Action" platform proposes a move toward "Responsible Advocacy"—encouraging students to exercise their First Amendment rights during non-instructional hours to ensure their schools remain financially viable.
“We want our youth to be 'graduation ready' and civically engaged,” Howard continued. “But we must lead with 'Mutual Respect' for our educational infrastructure. We cannot allow our schools to be defunded from the inside. True empowerment comes from a clinical and strategic approach to community trauma, not through the disruption of our children’s futures”.
For more information on L.D. Howard’s platform for educational sustainability and her commitment to 100% presence in the Texas House, please visit teamldhowardfortexas.com.
Campaign Email: coms@teamldhowardfortexas.com
Website: teamldhowardfortexas.com
SAN ANTONIO, TX – L.D. Howard, Independent candidate for Texas House District 124, issued a formal statement today regarding the coordinated "Student Walkout Protests" scheduled to impact multiple West Side campuses on Jan. 30, 2026. While affirming the passion and dignity of the district's youth, Howard is urging families to understand the "Average Daily Attendance" (ADA) funding risk that threatens to further destabilize a school system already navigating historic budget deficits.
According to promotional materials circulated by the group "Liberal Moms of San Antonio," a wave of walkouts is scheduled for January 30 at schools serving the West Side and Greater Lackland, including John Jay (12:45 PM), Stevens (1:33 PM), Warren (2:30 PM), Southwest (12:00 PM), and CAST STEM (12:30 PM).
“As a 20-year Air Force veteran and a business owner, I understand that every mission requires a sustainable resource plan,” said Howard. “In Texas, our schools do not receive funding based on the number of students enrolled, but on the number of students physically in their seats. When hundreds of our young people walk out of class, they aren't just making a statement—they are inadvertently creating a financial 'black hole' that hurts our most vulnerable students”.
Texas is one of only six states in the nation that utilizes the ADA metric for school finance. Under this system, if a student is absent during the official attendance count—even for a peaceful protest—the state does not provide the daily allotment for that student. The real-world impact on District 124 includes:
• Compounding Deficits: Northside ISD is already navigating a $38 million budget shortfall, while SAISD faces a deficit of approximately $40.8 million.
• Lost Services: Every day of mass absenteeism risks the loss of state dollars used for special education, instructional materials, and teacher salaries.
• Campus Stability: Previous attendance-based funding losses contributed to the 2024 "rightsizing" crisis, which saw the closure of 15 SAISD campuses.
Howard’s "Love in Action" platform proposes a move toward "Responsible Advocacy"—encouraging students to exercise their First Amendment rights during non-instructional hours to ensure their schools remain financially viable.
“We want our youth to be 'graduation ready' and civically engaged,” Howard continued. “But we must lead with 'Mutual Respect' for our educational infrastructure. We cannot allow our schools to be defunded from the inside. True empowerment comes from a clinical and strategic approach to community trauma, not through the disruption of our children’s futures”.
For more information on L.D. Howard’s platform for educational sustainability and her commitment to 100% presence in the Texas House, please visit teamldhowardfortexas.com.
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