Tag Archives: school finance

Abbott appeals school finance case to Supreme Court

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Friday appealed to the Texas Supreme Court a district court finding that the state’s school finance system is unconstitutional. State District Judge John Dietz’s Aug. 30 ruling called Texas’ current school finance … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott appeals school finance case to Supreme Court

On school districts selling stadium naming rights

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Raise your hand if this surprises you. When Bert Brocker wanted to advertise his auto business on the entrances of New Caney ISD’s new football stadium recently, the district offered another, bigger possibility: Naming rights to the entire $20 million, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on On school districts selling stadium naming rights

What next for school finance?

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That depends on the Attorney General and the Supreme Court, but one way or the other it’s up to the Legislature. State lawmakers from both parties agreed the responsibility for funding public schools falls on them. But history suggests the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What next for school finance?

School finance system ruled unconstitutional again

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A little light reading for your holiday weekend. Nearly three years after more than 600 Texas school districts filed litigation challenging the state’s school finance system, a Travis County district judge has ruled in their favor. In an almost 400-page … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School finance system ruled unconstitutional again

More education policy from Davis

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A lot to like here. Saying she wants to expand Texas high schoolers’ access to technical job training programs, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis announced a plan to create a Career-Technical Coordinating Board. The plan is the latest in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Collier keeps up the attack

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I really like the way he’s running his campaign. Democratic comptroller nominee Mike Collier says his Republican opponent Glenn Hegar bragged to a Houston-area tea party interviewer last year that he was proud of the Legislature’s 2011 budget cuts to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Collier keeps up the attack

Motion to recuse Judge Dietz denied

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. State District Judge John Dietz will not be forced off Texas’ ongoing school finance case, a San Antonio judge ruled Monday, handing a victory to school districts suing the state over what they call an unconstitutional lack of adequate … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Motion to recuse Judge Dietz denied

More plaintiffs respond to Abbott’s recusal motion

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I think it’s fair to say that the plaintiffs are strongly opposed to Greg Abbott’s attempt to get Judge Dietz recused in the school finance trial. Lawyers representing hundreds of school districts pushed back Thursday against Texas Attorney General Greg … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More plaintiffs respond to Abbott’s recusal motion

Judge Dietz refuses to recuse himself

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. The Travis County District Court judge overseeing a contentious trial over the state’s school finance system rejected a request by the attorney general’s office to recuse himself from the case. Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office asked state District … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Judge Dietz refuses to recuse himself

State wants judge removed from school finance case

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this. Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office on Monday sought to remove the judge presiding over the public school finance case, contending that his impartiality is in question due to email exchanges with lawyers that filed the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on State wants judge removed from school finance case

More on Achievement School Districts

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Chris Barbic, the founder of YES Prep and the superintendent of Tennessee’s Achievement School District, one of the models for Greg Abbott’s education plan, weighs in on what these things are and are not. First, by law, the Tennessee ASD … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on Achievement School Districts

Falkenberg on Abbott’s education plan

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg has a balanced take on Greg Abbott’s education plan. Progress has been tragically slow for the students of North Forest. And their saga makes great fodder for those beating the drum to create something called an “achievement school … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Abbott’s education plan

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some actual policy from Greg Abbott. In the 27-page, footnoted report that accompanied the press conference, he proposed to “create a swift, automatic process under which the very worst schools would be removed from the control of their local school … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On improving literacy

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this story. In Houston, a city known for its brilliant doctors and energy executives, adults are waiting in line for classes that teach basic literacy skills – reading, writing and speaking clearly. They … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On improving literacy

School finance retrial wraps

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’re back where it all began. The Texas Legislature failed to bridge funding gaps between wealthy and poor school districts despite partial restoration of funds that were cut, lawyers representing schools told a state district judge Friday. “They have put … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School finance retrial wraps

On succeeding Abbott as AG

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The next Attorney General will inherit a lot of Greg Abbott’s unfinished fights, some of which he instigated and some of which were thrust upon him by the Lege. Defending the constitutionality of the state’s controversial public school finance system … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On succeeding Abbott as AG

School finance retrial, Day One

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off, again. Back in the courtroom after a 2013 legislative session in which lawmakers added money back to the state public education budget, lawyers representing nearly two-thirds of Texas school districts argued on Tuesday that the funding boost … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School finance retrial, Day One

School finance retrial starts today

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Back in the saddle again. A fight over the state’s controversial school funding system is headed back to court Tuesday before the same judge who declared it unconstitutional nearly a year ago, with state lawyers hoping they can persuade him … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on School finance retrial starts today

School finance trial do-over set to start soon

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Once more into the breach. Hundreds of school districts in North Texas and across the state will resume their courtroom battle over funding in January, arguing that new money and reduced testing did little to fix Texas’ school finance system. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School finance trial do-over set to start soon

School finance trial still moving ahead

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here it comes again. A Travis County District Judge has decided to move forward with the state’s school finance trial despite some wavering about re-opening the case. Earlier this month Travis County District Judge John Dietz revisited … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Back to court for the school finance lawsuit

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Like deja vu all over again. State district court Judge John Dietz likened the state’s school finance case to the soap opera As The World Turns when he opened Wednesday’s hearing on whether to reconsider evidence in the trial that … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So where does the school finance lawsuit stand?

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Though Judge John Dietz issued a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in the school finance lawsuit back in February, he still hasn’t written his full decision yet. That’s because he wanted to see what the Legislature did this session, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Budget deal reached

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And the crowd goes wild. Top House and Senate negotiators agreed to a two-year budget for the state of Texas Friday that restores about $4 billion of $5.4 billion in cuts to public education made in 2011. It also creates … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Budget deal reached

Margins tax breaks passed

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s getting a tax break. Probably not you, though. The Texas House on Tuesday tentatively cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s primary business tax — cuts that proponents say will keep the Texas economy humming and opponents … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Senate officially taps the Rainy Day Fund

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Well done. Texas senators hammered out a sweeping deal to increase state funding for water and transportation projects and schools on Tuesday, tackling some of the thorniest issues of the legislative session all at once. The senators voted 31-0 for … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas Lottery Commission dies and is reborn

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And we have our first curveball of the legislative session. The House voted Tuesday to defeat a must-pass bill reauthorizing the Texas Lottery Commission, a stunning move that casts doubt on the lottery as a whole and may potentially cost … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

That’ll just about do it for gambling this session

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Carona calls the chances “slim”, but it sounds like slim just left town to me. [Sen. John] Carona, chairman of the Senate’s Business and Commerce Committee, said last week he expected to vote his sweeping gambling bill out of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on That’ll just about do it for gambling this session

It’s always time for a tax cut

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this: With less than two months remaining in the 83rd legislative session, Gov. Rick Perry on Monday called on state lawmakers to find $1.6 billion to give Texas businesses relief from the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Senate to tap that Rainy Day Fund

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It is just sitting there, not doing any good if it’s unused. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, laid out an ambitious plan to spend $6 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund on Thursday morning while also … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

More details on the House budget

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Consider this to be written in pencil, because it’s going to change. More than $1.6 billion and disagreements on how much Texas should spend on public education and Medicaid separate the budgets proposed by the House and Senate. The Senate … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More details on the House budget

House Appropriations releases its budget outline

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Better news for schools in this version. The House Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Thursday to boost funding for public schools by $2.5 billion in the next two-year budget period. Schools would get an additional $500 million in the current fiscal … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on House Appropriations releases its budget outline

Pauken for Governor

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We have our first official non-fringe candidate for Governor next year. Saying he hoped to reunite the “Reagan coalition of social and economic conservatives,” former Texas Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken confirmed to the Tribune that he will file to run … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Senate passes its budget

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Let the damning with faint praise for this jerry-rigged excuse for not adequately funding our needs yet not eviscerating them as badly as last time begin. The Texas Senate approved a $195.5 billion two-year budget Wednesday, with Democratic state Sens. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We have a budget

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It is what it is. The 15 members of the Senate Finance Committee unanimously voted on Wednesday for a $195.5 billion two-year budget that undoes some of the cuts from the 2011 legislative session. The budget, which now heads to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We have a budget