Texas lawmakers, convinced that 2018’s voters were telling them to get some serious work done, steered (mostly) away from social and cultural issues to concentrate on “meat and potatoes” items voters demanded, starting with schools and property taxes.
school finance
Posted in
Public Education
Midland County officials just found a missing ballot box. It may change the result of a $569 million bond election.
A proposal for a $569 million bond failed, then passed and could fail again after the discovery of missing ballot box from the November election.
Posted in
Public Education
Texas is spending millions to bring the “portfolio model” to its schools. The strategy has led to teacher strikes in other states.
The approach is intended to quickly cut down on the number of low-performing schools in the state. So far, Texas has seen mixed results.
Posted inState Government
Analysis: Texas doesn’t have an income tax — and isn’t getting one any time soon
Lawmakers want voters to replace the current constitutional hurdle to a personal income tax in Texas with a marginally higher one. Think of it as insurance against something that isn’t likely to happen anyway.
Posted in
Public Education
Texas is paying more for full-day pre-K. But some school districts are delaying.
How are Texas school districts using state pre-K funding to expand educational options for 3- and 4-year-olds? It depends where you look.
Posted in
Public Education
Texas put billions more into schools. Is that enough to help this high-poverty school district break out?
A new superintendent at the helm of Edgewood Independent School District is trying to move the schools beyond their reputation of struggle and dysfunction.
Posted in
Public Education
With conflicting budget estimates, will Texas teachers get the pay raises they anticipated?
Many school districts are seeing smaller gains from the state’s school finance law than they predicted. Teachers are fighting to get bigger raises anyway.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
Analysis: What do Texas voters want? Meat and potatoes, apparently. And cleaner elections.
Texans like the Legislature better now. They’re worried about elections. And they have mixed feelings about the country’s most prominent politician. Some notes on the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
Posted in
University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
Texas just spent billions to boost school funding, lower property taxes. Voters approve, but not overwhelmingly, UT/TT Poll says.
Texas lawmakers are boasting about ambitious education and property tax legislation they passed this year, but voters don’t appear to be completely sold, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: The Texas legislative session’s over. Now, all lawmakers have to do is sell it to voters.
Lawmakers are finished with the regular session and now enter the political season, figuring out how to discuss their work in a narrative voters will find appealing in next year’s elections.
