Texas schools are wary of losing funding gains lawmakers provided in 2019
A school finance bill in 2019 boosted funding for districts, but the pandemic has since added layers of financial uncertainty. Full Story
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![Student Kaison Hockenbarger and Ms. Abigail Boyett go over his answers to a multiplication assignment in Schoology. Schoology is an online portal and virtual learning hub, students, parents and teachers use to access assignments and communicate with their teachers outside of their classrooms.]()
Credit: Alejandra Casas for The Texas Tribune -
Texas students will still take STAAR tests in 2021, but schools won't be rated on them
State lawmakers had previously asked the Texas Education Agency to seek a federal waiver to cancel the standardized tests. Full Story
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![Desks are spaced out in a classroom at Ott Elementary School on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 in San Antonio.]()
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With colorful masks and many new rules, Mrs. Hogan’s “honeybees” arrive for kindergarten
In-person classes resumed at Highland Village Elementary School on Tuesday. The youngest students wore masks printed with pepperoni pizza and Polly Pocket, adjusting to new safety protocols. Full Story
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![Kindergarten teacher Angie Hogan reads a book to her class on the first day of in-person classes at Highland Village Elementary on Sept. 8, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: August agenda for local government includes schools, police spending, property taxes and a pandemic
Local governments in Texas finish their spending plans and set their tax rates in August, an annual exercise that includes some hot topics in this pandemic year, like police spending, public schools and property taxes. Full Story
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![A general view of Dallas on March 31, 2020.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Federal cash infusion will start reaching Texas school districts in June
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told local school officials Thursday they can expect $1.29 billion in federal coronavirus relief to start flowing this summer, helping shore up district budgets for next school year. Full Story
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![A student drinks water from a fountain at Cactus Elementary School in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Most Texans want lower property taxes and more school spending, UT/TT Poll finds
It's not a new contradiction, but it's persistent: Texas voters think that property taxes are too high and that school spending is too low, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Analyzing 2019: The 86th Texas Legislature
Texas lawmakers, convinced that 2018’s voters were telling them to get some serious work done, steered (mostly) away from social and cultural issues to concentrate on “meat and potatoes” items voters demanded, starting with schools and property taxes. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott addresses state officials at the State of the State address in the House Chambers at the State Capitol on Feb. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Midland County officials just found a missing ballot box. It may change the result of a $569 million bond election.
A proposal for a $569 million bond failed, then passed and could fail again after the discovery of missing ballot box from the November election. Full Story
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![Midland officials found in a missing box from the November 2019 election containing over 800 ballots.]()
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Texas is spending millions to bring the "portfolio model" to its schools. The strategy has led to teacher strikes in other states.
The approach is intended to quickly cut down on the number of low-performing schools in the state. So far, Texas has seen mixed results. Full Story
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![Corina Pannabecker (cq) teaches first grade at Ogden Elementary in San Antonio. Bexar County's school districts are among the most segregated in the state, with boundary lines historically drawn to consolidate resources. San Antonio ISD is working to create more socioeconomic and racial diversity through public school choice measures.]()
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Analysis: Texas doesn’t have an income tax — and isn’t getting one any time soon
Lawmakers want voters to replace the current constitutional hurdle to a personal income tax in Texas with a marginally higher one. Think of it as insurance against something that isn't likely to happen anyway. Full Story
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![State Capitol in the late afternoon on June 12, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Texas is paying more for full-day pre-K. But some school districts are delaying.
How are Texas school districts using state pre-K funding to expand educational options for 3- and 4-year-olds? It depends where you look. Full Story
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![JoAnn Zavala, pre-K bilingual teacher at Hemphill Elementary, leads a short period of exercise on Sept. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas put billions more into schools. Is that enough to help this high-poverty school district break out?
A new superintendent at the helm of Edgewood Independent School District is trying to move the schools beyond their reputation of struggle and dysfunction. Full Story
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Credit: Rachel Zein for The Texas Tribune -
With conflicting budget estimates, will Texas teachers get the pay raises they anticipated?
Many school districts are seeing smaller gains from the state's school finance law than they predicted. Teachers are fighting to get bigger raises anyway. Full Story
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![Bonham Elementary School in San Antonio on May 9, 2018.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: What do Texas voters want? Meat and potatoes, apparently. And cleaner elections.
Texans like the Legislature better now. They're worried about elections. And they have mixed feelings about the country's most prominent politician. Some notes on the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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![The State Capitol on May 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
As Texas overhauls schools, property taxes, voters wary, UT/TT Poll says
Texas lawmakers are boasting about ambitious education and property tax legislation they passed this year, but voters don't appear to be completely sold, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Analysis: The Texas legislative session’s over. Now, all lawmakers have to do is sell it to voters.
Lawmakers are finished with the regular session and now enter the political season, figuring out how to discuss their work in a narrative voters will find appealing in next year's elections. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen at a press conference on the $11.6 billion school finance reform bill. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bil into law at Parmer Lane Elementary School in Austin on June 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott signs $11.6 billion school finance measure into law
The high-priority bill boosts per-student funding and reduces property taxes across the state. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott signs the $11.6 billion school finance bill into law while surrounded by lawmakers at Parmer Lane Elementary School in Austin on June 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
“The right man at this point in Texas history”: How Dennis Bonnen led the Texas House
Dennis Bonnen gaveled out on Monday with much of the same widespread support in the Texas House that accompanied his unanimous election to the speaker’s gavel in January. Full Story
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![Speaker Dennis Bonnen during the Texas Fallen Heroes ceremony on May 25, 2019]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: It's sine die time
On this week’s post-legislative session TribCast, Emily talks to Alexa, Aliyya and Emma about the kumbaya legislative session, the details of school finance reform and the fate of (now former) Texas Secretary of State David Whitley. Full Story
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![The House stands adjourned sine die on May 27, 2019.]()
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To pass school finance and property tax bills, Texas’ legislative leaders chose cooperation over combativeness
In the past, personalities got in the way of policy at the Texas Capitol. This year, state leaders refused to let that happen. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen before a press conference at the Governor's Mansion on May 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
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