School finance

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.

Full Story 

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

Full Story 

Property taxes and school finance — the top two priorities of state leaders this legislative session — aren't the sorts of issues that fire up political partisans. Sometimes, lawmakers are just trying to do some work.

Full Story 

The property tax legislation unveiled by state leaders this week carries an implicit promise — that local school districts will get more state money — but doesn't say where that money might come from.

Full Story 

Even outspoken critics of the controversial program that redistributes money among school districts, acknowledge that they need it to avoid future school-finance lawsuits.

Full Story 

In a new report, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar says the state should cover 40 percent of the cost of public education — and should cover the costs of inflation, too.

Full Story 

Texas leaders are promising property tax relief during this year's legislative session. It's unlikely that will lower your taxes, but it might slow future increases.

Full Story 

The idea of tying a portion of funding to test scores appeals to some who want to improve student performance, but it enrages educators who say it will encourage teaching to the test.

Full Story 

The state's top leaders have been saying for weeks that they are in sync, and here's the surprise: Their initial proposals look like they are actually in sync.

Full Story 

The proposed budget would increase state funds for education by about 17 percent but cut funding for health and human services by about 3 percent.

Full Story 

It usually takes a court order to move Texas lawmakers to make big changes to major programs like school finance. But it's possible, if top leaders are united, to go big without a judicial push.

Full Story 

In our new podcast, Point of Order, Evan Smith asks Dan Huberty, chairman of the House Public Education Committee, what it will take — and what it will cost — for state lawmakers to solve the state's most intractable problem.

Full Story 

Lawmakers are taking on school finance and property tax reform — gnarly policy issues that are expensive to tackle even if the state decides enough money is already being spent on public education in Texas.

Full Story 

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.

Full Story 

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.

Full Story 

His pitch is one of a long list of recommendations a state school finance panel will send to lawmakers later this month.

Full Story 

The campaigns were long and hard, and now we know the winners. Let's look at what they're in for once they take office in 2019.

Full Story 

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.

Full Story 

Bush presides over the School Land Board, which has feuded with the State Board of Education over the disbursement of hundreds of millions of dollars from Texas' education endowment.

Full Story 

The pitch includes capping increases in districts' property tax revenue and financial incentives to improve school performance.

Full Story