An amendment from Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, that would have directed surplus money from the Rainy Day Fund to pay for enrollment growth in public schools perished in conference committee, but came up again in debate before the final vote on a fiscal matters bill to which it was attached.
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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Public Education
Staying After School
The special session hasn’t done much to alter the school finance plan that dragged lawmakers into overtime.
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Public Education
Measure Providing Extra Money For Schools Dies
An amendment from Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, that would have directed surplus money from the Rainy Day Fund to pay for enrollment growth in public schools has perished in conference committee.
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Demographics
The Last Seven Days: Special Session Update
The Tribune counts down to the end of the special session with updates on where the major issues added to the agenda by Gov. Rick Perry stand.
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Public Education
Texas High Schools Top Newsweek’s Best List
When the national spotlight turns to Texas public education, it’s often not flattering. But schools in the state ruled Newsweek’s annual Best High School List — including two Dallas ISD magnets that claimed the top spots.
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Public Education
One School District Says No to Higher Property Taxes
After public resistance from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Empower Texans, an Austin-based conservative activist group, voters in a suburban Fort Worth school district turned down a 13-cent local tax hike over the weekend.
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Demographics
Video: The Week in Texas Politics Recap: June 13 to June 17, 2011
Want a quick recap of some of the happenings this week in the Texas Legislature? We’ve made it easier for you with our weekly video rundown of the action under the dome.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson and Murphy visualize what happened to the nearly 5,800 bills introduced in the 82nd Lege, Aaronson, Hasson and Swicegood interactively recap the budget battle, Aguliar on the surge in illegal re-entry cases prosecuted by the Obama administration, Galbraith on a coal plant that wants a water deal from the LCRA, Grissom interviews a man wrongly imprisoned and nearly executed — twice, Hamilton on a controversial UT regent who wants a do-over in the debate over higher ed reform, Ramshaw on the continuing fight over pre-abortion sonograms, Root on Rick Perry’s newsmaking trip to NYC and M. Smith on whether cash-strapped school districts will raise taxes: The best of our best content from June 13 to 17, 2011.
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Public Education
Keeping Full Day Public Pre-K Alive, With Fees
The 82nd Legislature delivered a fatal whack to state grants for full-day pre-kindergarten. But some public schools are refusing to let the budgetary machete finish off their early childhood programs, choosing instead to charge tuition to students.
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Public Education
House Approves Key Education Bills
When the Senate passed her two signature education bills, Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, made an effort to keep her colleagues from weighing them down with extra amendments. The lower chamber took a different approach.