Texas school districts hopeful lawmakers will help plug $1.7 billion gap in special education funding
Proponents say the changes would better serve special education students with widely varying needs — and help schools pay for it. Full Story
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The latest school finance news from The Texas Tribune.
Proponents say the changes would better serve special education students with widely varying needs — and help schools pay for it. Full Story
Underprepared teachers have been tied to student learning losses. But amid a teacher shortage crisis, school leaders fear the restrictions will lead to fewer instructors in their classrooms. Full Story
Lawmakers this week listened to testimony on House Bill 2, which would raise schools’ base funding per student by $220 — a figure that falls short of what many Texans say is needed. Full Story
Neither of the Legislature’s voucher bills require private schools to accept certain students, which some warn could block the neediest children from access. Full Story
The proposal, filed Thursday, comes well short of the increase school administrators and education advocates have been asking for. Full Story
From teacher pay and preparation to special education and DEI, here are issues Texas lawmakers are prioritizing this legislative session. Full Story
Chronically absent students — those who missed at least 10% of their school days — are more likely to drop out, education advocates say. Full Story
Vouchers would let parents use public funds to pay for their kids’ private education. Learn about how they could work and the political battle around them. Full Story
In 2023, Texas passed a DEI ban at the state’s public universities. Now Abbott wants the state to stop funding diversity programs in K-12 schools. Full Story
The request comes after an audit found Texas improperly billed the federal government for reimbursements related to Medicaid-eligible students. Full Story
Some voucher opponents are ready to compromise; others are hoping supporters will fumble over the program's size, eligibility and accountability. Full Story
Texas voters rejected 20 of 35 bond propositions put forward by 19 school districts in November. Full Story
Last year, Abbott refused to give public schools a major raise without passing a voucher program. His tone was more conciliatory after Election Day. Full Story
The Texas Education Agency found that checks mailed to Miles’ charter school network in Colorado were eventually deposited into the network’s Texas account. Full Story
The Texas Education Agency says there’s time to fix problems before officially reported data is used to determine how much money districts get. Full Story
Schools are hiring instructors with different types of backgrounds to deal with critical staff shortages. Full Story
The Ector County school district boosted student learning but now faces financial uncertainty. It closed schools and cut costs to stay afloat, but it won’t slash teacher jobs. Full Story
Educators say they’ll struggle to keep the programs they created with those funds, highlighting their precarious situation without more state help. Full Story
A state lawmaker and Houston residents urge the Texas Education Agency to investigate whether the state-appointed superintendent improperly sent public funds to out-of-state charter schools. Full Story
Gov. Greg Abbott called the results “an unmistakable message.” His allies said the state is “closer than ever” to a voucher program. Full Story