Texas school safety measures expanded with House amendments to sweeping legislation
Tentative approval of the bill comes days after the one-year anniversary of a shooting at Santa Fe High School that left 10 dead and another 13 wounded. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ddfcb71dc70031f6941d6d2681db95b9/Harrold_GUNS_2_MKC_TT.jpg)
-
![Mock weapons used to train educators in Harrold, Texas. The North Texas school district was the first to allow educators to carry guns on school grounds in 2007.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Can pay raises help rural Texas districts like Buffalo retain teachers?
Starting teacher pay in Buffalo is thousands below the state average, and it's hard to attract people from outside the small town. The district's superintendent hopes school finance reform will help. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c5457c1c25555329027dc1f90372b870/09_Buffalo_ISD_MS_TT.jpg)
![Buffalo ISD Superintendent Lacy Freeman drives a school bus because he can't find any qualified drivers in Buffalo.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas teachers often spend their own money on supplies. This year, lawmakers are pondering giving them raises.
“I don’t think twice about spending the money on those kids, other than it’s unfortunate that I have to do it," one teacher said. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8c43aab6d06234528b3fc147426865a3/04%20Rena%20Clegg%20Teacher%20JF%20TT.jpg)
![Rena Clegg, an art teacher at Pflugerville ISD, shops for classroom supplies on May 14, 2019. Some teachers like Rena spend more than $100 on supplies, all out of their own pockets.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Bill to reinstate Texas A&M and UT football game never gained ground
After it failed to move out of the House Higher Education Committee on Monday, a proposal to bring back the annual game seems all but dead. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/86ea2536387ef52bd8ffc4d108f990c2/UT_AM_Logo_Split.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate approves school finance reform bill but opts not to fund it with a sales tax hike
The chambers will need to negotiate how to give teachers pay raises, whether to adjust how students take standardized tests and how to provide long-term property tax relief for Texans. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/df43e0ddcfc59976fe49678a616245ba/04_Senate_action_April_9_JF_TT.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks from the dais in the Senate chamber on April 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Betting a whole legislative session on one big issue
The pieces are in place. There's a month to go. And the three leaders who bet big on school finance, education and property taxes are in a familiar place, imploring reluctant legislators to take the kinds of high-stakes votes that make and break political careers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b8d27ba7792a394f899de0a4db979cb2/01_Patrick_Abbott_Bonnen_Property_Tax_Presser_MG.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott, legislative leaders assert confidence as deadline to cut property taxes nears
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen did not close the door on passing a sales tax swap with a simple majority instead of the current approach requiring two-thirds support of lawmakers and voter approval. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b206af7a8ac7bff64174bd6be9a7b35f/03_Patrick_Abbott_Bonnen_Property_Tax_Presser.jpg)
![From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
After Texas Senate committee approves school finance bill, House panel advances sales tax increase to fund property tax relief
The Senate Education Committee approved the school finance bill in a hurried meeting Wednesday. The full Senate is now expected to vote on the legislation Friday. Meanwhile, a House panel advanced a proposal to let voters decide whether a sales tax increase should fund property tax relief. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/68b46f9e5e38789f0e11629387622d51/16_Senate_Education_Committee_EW.jpg)
![Senate Education Committee Chariman and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during a committee meeting on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
“Guns and safety aren’t synonymous for us”: Some black Texans fear plans to arm more teachers
Black students, who are already overrepresented in disciplinary referrals, say their fears come as lawmakers consider a slew of bills to expand the state's school marshal program in response to a deadly shooting last year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b57c6d502cc4fa44bc2e6720f0d9358b/03_Marshall_Program_Amhir_and_Addison_JF_TT.jpg)
![Students at Round Rock High School Ahmir Johnson, left, and Addison Savors, right, at school on April 26, 2019. The expansion of the marshal program could be triggering for black and brown students.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Legislators have a deadline, and so do Texas schools
Lawmakers are in their last month of a regular session, with their priority issues — public education and property taxes — still incomplete. If they can't finish without a special session, they'll run into someone else's deadlines; school districts write budgets and set tax rates in June. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d35132be323aefe81b5b11b56edf487f/01_Abbott_House_Floor_JF_TT.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott with House members on the House Floor on April 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Watch: The future of workforce is education
We're livestreaming our conversation in Dallas on developing the next Texas workforce, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ac8e6cbf8c69751d5051c1c0a17ebbe6/TTE-workforce-leadart_tt.org.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas Senate passes school safety bill intended to prevent mass shootings
Senate Bill 11 is authored by state Sen. Larry Taylor, whose district includes Santa Fe High School. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9caedc13b5b95618f9d7b7300da849bb/Larry_Taylor_BD_TT.jpg)
![August 15, 2017: The final day of the first called special session of the 85th Legislature on Tuesday 8-15-2017 Photos (c) Bob Daemmrich for TT use only all other rights reserved.
Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Judge temporarily blocks enforcement of Texas law banning contractors from boycotting Israel
The order came in a case brought by a Pflugerville school speech pathologist who was told she could only continue her contract work if she promised not to boycott Israel. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/23b26b1b3b278fa16a32a78e391bd7a3/Amawi_Bahia2_CAIR_BD_TT.jpg)
![The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announces the filing of a lawsuit against Texas' "No Boycott of Israel" law, on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018 in Austin. Speaking at the press conference is plaintiff Bahia Amawi, a teacher in the Pflugerville Independent School District who was forced to sign a pledge against her beliefs in order to get paid. She later quit her job as a speech therapist in the district.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Sen. Larry Taylor unveils new school finance bill, adding $5,000 teacher pay raise
The bill differs in significant ways from the version the House approved this month. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9b0cde9bf6fa026d3b504f18a8f87813/13_Senate_Education_Committee_EW.jpg)
![Senate Education Committee Chariman and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during a committee meeting on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas House votes to advance bill to shore up teacher pension fund
The chambers will have to negotiate exactly who will pay to shore up the pension fund and how big the one-time additional check will be for retirees. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7a0a3340bcadea704bd62c7e9abb829e/19_House_School_Finance_Presser_EW.jpg)
![State Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, speaks to the press about the House school finance bill on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
An exchange student from Pakistan struck up an unlikely friendship. Then another student opened fire at Santa Fe High School.
Sabika Sheikh was a Muslim exchange student with dreams of changing the world, and she bonded with an evangelical Christian girl from small-town Texas. The two became inseparable — until May 18, 2018. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fe2aa0279fb9314c8a07b803527a1056/Jaelyn_Cogburn_TEXAS_MONTHLY_DO_NOT_USE.jpg)
![Jaelyn Cogburn with Sabika Sheikh’s memorial cross in Santa Fe on December 29, 2018.]()
Credit: Brian Goldman -
Texas lawmakers promised to rein in school district property taxes. What do their plans actually do?
Three quarters of the way into the legislative session, lawmakers are still juggling several proposals related to school district taxes, including some that would not provide any tax relief. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2ecb09a0f7ec0c13e845f652d170ba92/01_Abbott_Bonnen_Patrick_Property_Tax_Presser_MG.jpg)
![From left: Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; Gov. Greg Abbott; House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton; and Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, speak at a Jan 31, 2019, news conference addressing property tax reform.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Making friends and influencing people in the Texas Legislature
It's hard to gather support for the state's most persistent problems when you're also pressing forward with issues that divide and anger Republicans and Democrats. It's also business as usual in the Texas Legislature. Full Story
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks from the dais in the Senate chamber on April 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Can Texas’ top three Republicans muster enough support to pass a sales tax swap?
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have already signaled opposition to the proposal from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b495bda576816f9ea30eedff3ba274a6/Abbott_Patrick_Bonnen_Joint_Presser_2.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen hold a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
A Texas sales tax increase would hit poor people the hardest
Top Republican leaders have proposed raising the sales tax and using the money to lower local property tax rates. Wealthier Texans and businesses would likely benefit, while poorer Texans would likely pay more. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/85e20dce251581d7db5bf518e23efd18/06_Abbott_State_of_the_State_MG.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott addresses state officials at the State of the State address in the House Chambers at the State Capitol on Feb. 5, 2019. He's accompanied by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune