69ý

Education Funding

Texas Lawmakers Pass Dueling Finance Plans

By Joetta L. Sack — July 12, 2005 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Texas lawmakers have approved two competing school financing plans that would give teachers raises and lower property taxes—and keep schools open this fall—in an attempt to comply with a state court ruling.

The separate plans from the House and the Senate come after Gov. Rick Perry vetoed the state education budget last month, saying that it did not provide adequate funding for K-12 education under the court ruling. The governor called for a 30-day special session, scheduled to end July 20, to build a new funding formula.

“I’m asking legislators to focus on the three R’s of ‘results, resources, and relief’—results in the classroom, record resources for our schools, and real relief for the property taxpayers of Texas,” Mr. Perry said in a June 23 speech.

It’s the fourth time in three years that the legislature has been called into a special session to deal with the state’s school aid dilemma after court battles. Most recently, a state judge found that the 1993 “Robin Hood” funding formula and property-tax cap were unconstitutional, and set an Oct. 1 deadline to fix the finance system or shut down schools. Arguments in the state’s appeal of that decision also began last week. (“Texas Judge Rules Funds Not Enough,” Sept. 22, 2004)

Gov. Perry, a Republican, is up for re-election next year, and property taxes are likely to be one of the top issues. In addition to a property-tax plan, he has proposed raising the sales tax and taxes on tobacco to increase the K-12 budget by $5 billion each year of the biennium.

Teacher Raises

State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who intends to challenge Mr. Perry in the GOP primary next year, called his plan “a mess” that would result in a $200 million budget shortfall. But the governor’s office is disputing those figures, and he is expected to call a second special session if the matter is not resolved by July 20.

Both the House and Senate plans would raise teacher pay. The House version offers an increase of $1,500, beginning this coming school year, and the Senate offers a $500 increase for 2005-06 and an additional $1,500 in the 2006-07 school year. Supporters say the plans would increase the state’s $30 billion biennial K-12 budget by at least 3 percent. Both would also lower property taxes.

The Texas Federation of Teachers called the legislative plans “disastrous” because they would ultimately raise taxes without providing more money for schools.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Education Funding Whitepaper
They Don’t Know What They Don’t Know
A new study suggests that policymakers have limited knowledge about the impact of teacher pension expenses on school district budgets...
Content provided by Equable
Education Funding Billions of Dollars for School Buildings Are on the Ballot This November
Several large districts and the state of California hope to capitalize on interest in the presidential election to pass big bonds.
6 min read
Pink Piggy Bank with a vote sticker on the back and a blurred Capitol building in the distance.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Gun Violence Takes a Toll. We Need More Support, Principals Tell Congress
At a congressional roundtable, school leaders made an emotional appeal for more funds to help schools recover from gun violence.
5 min read
Principals from the Principals Recovery Network address lawmakers on the long-term effects of gun violence on Sept. 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Principals address Democratic members of Congress on the long-term effects of gun violence on Sept. 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of Oversight Committee Democrats Press Office
Education Funding ESSER Is Ending. Which Investments Accomplished the Most?
Districts have until Sept. 30 to commit their last round of federal COVID aid to particular expenses.
11 min read
Illustration of falling or declining money with a frustrated man in a suit standing on the edge of a cliff the shape of an arrow dollar sign.
DigitalVision Vectors