It’s a confusing time in school finance — a maelstrom of local and state governments trying to master a byzantine system that is faltering in every way but the most important one: The courts say it’s broken, but constitutionally sound.
school finance
Posted in
Public Education
Analysis: A $100 million reinterpretation of Texas school finance law
A reinterpretation of the state’s school finance law will leave $100 million in the accounts of some of the state’s property wealthy districts — and will leave a hole of that size in an already tight state budget.
Posted in
State Government
Analysis: Texas, a legislative sideshow to the main act in D.C.
The Texas Legislature is primed to go, but this is going to be a session outside the limelight. The Texans are busy, but the spotlight is on the new administration in Washington, D.C.
Posted in
Public Education
Texas Senate takes first step toward school finance overhaul
The Senate has tasked a new budget working group with coming up with ways to overhaul the state’s school finance system.
Posted in
Public Education
Analysis: Spinning numbers in Texas lawmakers’ proposed budgets
For lessons in how to speak positively about bad news — without telling lies — you might consider studying at the feet of the people who write the Texas budget.
Posted in
State Government
A conversation with Burrows and Darby (video)
Full video of Evan Smith’s 1/19 conversation with state Reps. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, on the campus of Howard College in San Angelo.
Posted in
Higher Education
Analysis: Legislators start with a $5.3 billion difference of opinion
In their first-day numbers, the Texas Legislature’s two chambers didn’t even agree on the size of the current budget. The House baked in some supplemental expenses that the Senate left that out.
Posted in
Public Education
Analysis: Texas budget writers treasure that school tax you hate
In the midst of all the gloomy state budget news, this stuck out like a gold nugget in a cow patty: Rising property values in the state’s school districts translate into higher local tax revenue, cutting the state’s obligation to education.
Posted in
Public Education
With funding tight, legislators weigh options on school finance
With funding tighter than the previous legislative session, lawmakers are not expected to inject much more money into public education. For now, some are backing a plan to increase money to all school districts through the general appropriations bill.
Posted inPublic Education
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