School finance

Halfway through the session, the Capitol's hallways are full of talk of a special session on school finance and property taxes. That won't happen — unless the Legislature makes a mess of the time it's got left.

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The $9 billion bill has more than 100 co-sponsors in the House but will need to be reconciled with Senate proposals.

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Texas voters told candidates they want property tax relief, and it's remarkably expensive. That's why state lawmakers are talking about higher sales taxes.

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The bill is part of a series of proposals designed to slow property tax growth and fix how the state pays for its schools.

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On this week’s TribCast, Aman talks to Evan, Aliyya and Alexa about the teacher pay and school finance proposals circulating in the Texas Lege, the latest finger-pointing over the voter citizenship review and the pushback Beto O’Rourke might face in a Democratic presidential field.

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The Senate is proposing $5,000 raises for each teacher and librarian. The House is calling for raising minimum salaries and increasing benefits.

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Members of the Texas House received their first look at the soon-to-be-filed proposal in a one-page summary circulating around the Texas Capitol Monday afternoon.

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Texans want local governments to get permission for property tax hikes over a set amount and don't think such a restriction would hobble services, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

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Dallas ISD spearheaded a program that floods its low-performing schools with the best resources, including highly rated educators who get paid large stipends. Lawmakers want to see it expanded.

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The bill, which would cost $3.9 billion, received unanimous support from the Senate Finance Committee.

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The Texas lieutenant governor is proposing across-the-board $5,000 raises for teachers. It's a seismic shift for a lawmaker who spent the last legislative session backing proposals educators revile.

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Texas lawmakers are considering a proposal that would increase teacher pay by $5,000. We want to talk to teachers about their salaries.

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The Texas House Democratic Caucus is calling for a $14.5 billion package that includes all-day pre-K, teacher raises and property tax relief.

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On this week’s TribCast, Ross talks to Emma, Aliyya and Edgar about Sen. Angela Paxton's controversial bill that could impact her husband, efforts to get property tax legislation passed, a status check on the promised school finance bill and bidding out the state's data storage to private companies.

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Average Texans and lawmakers alike are going back to the basics on school finance, as the state Legislature prepares to tackle a longstanding challenge.

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The governor has laid out his legislative priorities. In our latest "Under the Dome" episode, we look at the challenges lawmakers face in addressing the issues of property taxes and school finance.

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A new proposal to cut school property taxes in Texas perfectly outlines the political problem facing lawmakers: It's terribly expensive, and other taxes have to be raised to pay for it.

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A Texas Senate committee is moving rapidly to require voter approval for local property tax increases over 2.5 percent. But some want to see the Legislature's school finance bill before they vote on property taxes.

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What Texas Gov. Greg Abbott didn't say in Tuesday's State of the State speech was important. School finance and property taxes were the big issues before the speech — and Abbott didn't stray from those subjects.

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Abbott stayed on message about education and taxes, and touched on school safety, disaster response and mental health programs.

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