Straus Says School Funds May Rebound
Education funding will be a big issue in the 2013 Legislature. Photo by Liang Shi/KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Texas lawmakers cut billions from public school funding formulas in 2011. Now one Republican leader says he hopes that money can be restored in the upcoming legislative session.
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is not promising, but he hopes lawmakers will restore about $4 billion cut from the state funding formulas last year. In an interview with the Associated Press, Straus did promise $2 billion in new funding, enough to cover enrollment growth.
The state’s rapid population increase means Texas public schools add more than 150,000 students each year. It will take an additional $2 billion dollars in the state budget just to pay for those new students.
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