State Rep. Drew Darby Will be Recognized at San Angelo ISD Board Meeting

SAN ANGELO, TX — State Rep. Drew Darby is a champion of public schools. Last year, in the height of the debate over the bathroom bill, Darby quipped, “I think out here in west Texas, we all know where to go to the bathroom.” The Bathroom Bill issue was obscuring what Darby thought was the 800-pound gorilla in the room: Public school financing. And fixing school financing, he said, was more immediately important than cultural issues.

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As a member of the Texas Legislature’s Appropriations, and for the past two sessions, the Ways & Means Committee, Darby has fought for public school financing at every turn. He has said on multiple occasions that the public schools in all of west Texas’ communities are the focal points for “our communities.” He generally opposes vouchers, and school choice, because he sees school choice as a movement that diminishes the value of public schools, and what west Texas needs.

His stance on public schools hasn’t won Darby much praise in conservative Republican circles. Many Republicans, his peers, want school choice. To Darby, school choice may make sense in major metro areas like Houston, Dallas, or the I-35 corridor, but he thinks choice doesn’t make sense in Grape Creek, Veribest, Christoval or Ballinger. And it doesn’t make sense if the Texas Legislature is cutting public education funding to finance private schools.

Darby will be recognized at the San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday night. He will be honored with the “Champions of Children” award presented by the members of the Equity Center. According to the school district, the award is to recognize Darby’s long-standing history of being an advocate for students in public education.

The award will be given at 5:45 p.m. Monday, March 26, at the San Angelo ISD Administration Building.