So how, exactly, does Texas fund its public schools?
"Many of the problems with our school finance system stem from how horribly outdated and underfunded our schools are. The last time lawmakers substantially updated the formulas used to fund our schools, mullets were all the rage and songs like “Heaven is a Place on Earth” were topping the Billboard charts."
Texas senators agree on the need for school mental health services, but can they fund it?
"But while committee members agreed on the need, they often returned to the question of funding. State Sen. John Whitmire, a Democrat, said many urban schools in his Houston district don't have the resources to hire enough teachers, let alone school psychologists."
Other Voices: Numbers show Texas school funding can improve soon
"The decrease seems particularly rough for Texas, which already has 5.4 million children in public schools and has added about 850,000 over that decade, the fastest growth rate in the nation."
Texas Schools Fall Short of a Passing Grade in a New State-by-State Study
"In recent years, Texas has cut back on the amount of state funds used to support public education. Most dramatically, lawmakers in 2011 hacked away $5 billion in school funding to make up for a budget deficit, but they have never fully restored the money."
Republican senators: Day of truth-telling about property taxes full of falsehoods
"It seems like there has been this move afoot to point the finger at local governments and say we are out of control with our property taxes," Whitley said Monday. "But school taxes have really gone up ... as a direct result of the state reducing its commitment to education."
Who are the forces behind the school voucher push in Texas?
“' … Vouchers have not only not worked anywhere, they have failed everywhere' … [This] is a quest to de-fund public education and subsidize the wealthy who already send their children to private schools … 'What this is all about is who gets the money and the politicians are trying to siphon the money out of the public school system.'”
The Texas economic miracle is over.
“To sustain a robust economy, our young people will need skills and education. That's the kind of investment smart people make when they can afford to do so. Texas did not make those investments during the boom years … The next Fortune 100 company to consider relocating to Texas will take a long, hard look at education, both primary and university-level. That's just smart business. Why would you locate a major facility, let alone a headquarters, to a place where you may have to offer literacy classes on the workshop floor or more training for college graduates who didn't study math?
A broken system. The state’s public school financing system is not fair and needs to be changed.
“… the current state public school financing system harms districts all around the state … has evolved into a revenue-collection practice resembling a statewide income tax … The state’s policy of siphoning of local tax dollars has the effect of taxing people out of their homes … Enough is enough. The system is not fair or equitable, and it needs to be changed.”