The latest school finance news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas school districts will have accumulated a legal tab of over $8.5 million in the course of challenging the state's school finance system — a sum that the state will have to pay if they prevail. Full Story
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Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, said Wednesday that her GOP opponent, Dan Patrick, was “rewriting history” by taking credit for the restoration of some education funding cuts. Patrick's campaign hit back at the criticism. Full Story
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As candidates in the general election focus on making themselves known to voters, the latest school finance ruling provides their clearest marching orders yet. Full Story
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The problem with trying to lower property taxes at the state level is that the taxpayers — voters — often do not see the benefits. Full Story
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The state of Texas does not levy a property tax, but state lawmakers would like to lower property tax bills anyway — a quest that could take them into school finance or into relief for some taxpayers at the expense of others. Full Story
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, I talked with host Jason Whitely and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy about this week's Republican state convention in Fort Worth. Full Story
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The next step in nearly two years of litigation over the troubled Texas school finance system is a hearing on whether District Court Judge John Dietz should recuse himself from the case. Full Story
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Not everybody who is upset with property taxes wants them abolished. A new group that started in Houston wants to increase appraised values on commercial property. Full Story
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Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis is calling on her likely Republican opponent in the governor's race, Attorney General Greg Abbott, to quit defending the state's school finance system and reach a settlement instead. Abbott said Davis was focused on the past. Full Story
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Lawmakers love to say that they have solved the state's school finance problems. With that system being challenged once again in court, it's clear that all they can do is readjust it every few years. Full Story
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Lawyers representing nearly two-thirds of Texas school districts in a lawsuit against the state argued Tuesday that not only was a 2013 legislative funding boost short term, but that other changes had increased costs for schools. Full Story
As the Texas school finance trial reopens Tuesday, it has become a political football in the state’s gubernatorial contest. State Sen. Wendy Davis' campaign has lobbed attacks at Attorney General Greg Abbott based on his role in the litigation. Full Story
A year into a $30 million push led by some of San Antonio's wealthiest philantrophic foundations to bring in new charter school operators, the city's school districts have started a campaign to highlight the value of traditional public schools. Full Story
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Two new charter school operators have come to Texas promising a collegiate atmosphere. But along with their academic goals come extra fees for parents and a record of serving disproportionately affluent and white students. Full Story
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After hundreds of millions in federal dollars were spent on No Child Left Behind tutoring in Texas, it is difficult to find anyone willing to call the program an unqualified success. And there is disagreement on why the program didn't meet expectations. This is the second story in a series on the program. Full Story
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A Texas Tribune investigation of a No Child Left Behind tutoring program has uncovered years of inaction by state officials while money flowed to tutoring companies, delivering few academic results. This is the first story in a series on the program. Full Story
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Education could be a tricky issue for gubernatorial candidates in 2014, with both the Democratic and Republican nominee having to navigate through unexpected cross-currents among their own constituencies. Full Story
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At Monday's TribLive conversation, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Pauken talked about his plan to reduce property taxes and increase sales taxes to pay for public education. Full Story
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Charter schools with ties to faith-based organizations have cropped up across Texas. Proponents say that's a result of smart budgeting, but critics have concerns about oversight and worry that faith-based instruction could enter some classrooms. Full Story
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This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: The end of the special session is in sight, the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune polls are out and a judge says new school finance litigation case will begin in January. Full Story
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