As Texas’ school finance commission is set to hold its next hearing, some members and policy experts are arguing the hearings seem set toward a predetermined outcome — making schools do more with the funding they have.
school finance
Posted in
Public Education
After federal probe, parents say Texas districts lack funding, staff to help kids with dyslexia
A federal report said Texas policy on how to serve students with dyslexia violates federal law. State officials say the policy was originally created to address a gap in federal law.
Posted in
Guides
Local taxes in Texas have been rising to help pay for education. Who is to blame?
Lawmakers say local property taxes are getting too high. School leaders say the taxes are increasing because the state is taking on a smaller share of public education funding. Hey Texplainer, what’s really happening?
Posted in
Public Education
Analysis: On Texas’ high property taxes, there’s plenty of blame to go around
State lawmakers are not solely to blame for the increasing burden on local property taxpayers, but they are certainly as responsible as anyone else.
Posted inState Government
Analysis: Texas’ most persistent policy problem
You wouldn’t be out of line wondering why Texas school finance didn’t get fixed in 2017. Or 2015. Or 2013. But it’s because this is a hard policy problem and a harder political one. The prompt now is that property taxes have gotten so far out of hand that lawmakers have no choice but to act.
Posted in
Public Education
Texas panel set to discuss school finance fix. Can they iron out lawmakers’ disagreements?
The Texas Commission on Public School Finance will meet for the first time this week as it develops legislative recommendations for overhauling the state’s beleaguered system for funding public education.
Posted in
Public Education
Special education caps were the Texas Legislature’s idea, educators say
In the wake of a federal report finding Texas was failing its kids with disabilities, educators say the state is to blame and that Texas legislators first suggested cutting back special education services to keep costs low.
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2017 Year in Review
Analyses in the rearview mirror: School finance and property taxes
The end of the year is when property owners have to pay their taxes — an increasingly large bill in Texas that’s a key part of the state’s rickety school finance system. Here’s a sampling of columns tracking that debate in 2017.
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2017 Year in Review
Texas schools weathered Hurricane Harvey, political strife in 2017
Take a look back at our 2017 public education coverage and read about how the Texas Legislature failed to overhaul the school finance system, how several Texas students and teachers are still recovering from a devastating hurricane, and more.
Posted in
Public Education
Amid state cuts, a Texas high school football coach got a $20,000 raise. His district says he’s earned it.
As state cuts to public education become more common, school communities must frequently debate where and how to trim their limited budgets without harming students or teachers.
