The $11.6 billion school finance and property tax reform bill is now poised to head to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Public Education
Explore The Texas Tribune’s coverage of public education, from K-12 schools and funding to teachers, students, and policies shaping classrooms across Texas.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Texas legislators had a successful session, but not a historic one
Lawmakers delivered on their promises of school finance and property tax reforms, agreeing to spend $11.6 billion on a combination of education changes and tax cuts. It’s big, but is it really “transformative”?
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Texas Legislature 2019
Teacher raises and all-day pre-K: Here’s what’s in the Texas Legislature’s landmark school finance bill
The $11.6 billion legislation is on a path to the governor’s desk and includes property tax cuts, a hike in per-student funding and money to ease the state’s reliance on the “Robin Hood” program.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas’ legislative leaders say they have a deal on school finance and property tax reform
Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced they have finalized the details of the three bills that will accomplish their top policy goals.
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Texas Legislature 2019
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
This session’s biggest mental health bill got killed on a technicality — then resurrected
Senate Bill 10, focused on connecting children to mental health services, was knocked out of contention with a parliamentary maneuver Tuesday night but was revived as an amendment to another bill hours later. It’s one of several measures the state’s GOP leaders championed in the wake of the deadly shooting last year at Santa Fe High School.
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Public Education
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
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.
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Higher Education
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
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.