The Texas Tribune produced several deep-dive investigations in 2018 that examined various issues that affect Texans across the state. Here’s a look at some of those standout projects.
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
Texas school finance panel approves final report to lawmakers
The Texas Commission on Public School Finance — created last year to scrutinize the way the state funds K-12 education — finalized a report on Wednesday that includes more than 30 recommended improvements.
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Dis-Integration
Watch Texas Tribune reporters discuss their project on school segregation
Watch as the Tribune’s Alexa Ura and Aliyya Swaby discuss their reporting for the “Dis-Integration” series that examines the challenges school communities have faced in integrating their schools.
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Dis-Integration
Texas has failed to close educational gaps for kids of color. In Edgewood ISD, the fallout has lasted generations.
Edgewood ISD has faced consistent problems in preparing its students for college and the workforce. The district’s struggles shine a light on Texas’ long record of neglecting schools that educate mostly students of color.
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Politics
A Texas school contractor says she lost her job because she won’t promise not to boycott Israel. Now she’s suing.
The school severed its contract with the speech pathologist because of state law banning Texas government contracts with companies that boycott Israel.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: You can’t fix Texas school finance until you agree on the meaning of “fix”
Changing the way public schools are funded is hard even when everyone agrees on the problem. But Texas lawmakers will first have to figure out if they’re aiming to lower property taxes, increase spending on public education — or just change how the money is distributed.
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Public Education
Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposal would provide more tax relief than new school funding
His pitch is one of a long list of recommendations a state school finance panel will send to lawmakers later this month.
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Dis-Integration
Richardson ISD’s student demographics have significantly changed. The makeup of its school board hasn’t.
Only one person of color has ever served on the Richardson ISD board. Now, he’s suing the district over its method of electing school board members, alleging it denies people of color a fair say in who represents them.
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Dis-Integration
San Antonio ISD is innovating to integrate its schools. Is it leaving some behind in the process?
To stem the exodus of students to private and charter schools, San Antonio ISD is redesigning dozens of schools that now offer popular educational programs. Families and educators at those schools are thrilled, but people at other schools feel left out.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: A tight-fisted Texas Legislature with expensive ambitions
State lawmakers are loath to raise taxes, but they need to find money somewhere if they want to give local school property taxpayers a break — a primary goal for many of the state’s top leaders.