Texas lawmakers have just days to deliver on school finance reform

With five days left in the Texas legislative session, many public school leaders worry that a fix to school finance may be a disaster.

Texas top leaders promised higher pay for teachers as well as property tax relief for homeowners. But there is not enough money to do everything for everyone.

Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa stopped by Good Day to talk about the current version of the school finance bill. He calls it bad news.

“They had a plan. They had resources to execute the plan. But then, in the end, different details started getting in the way. In fact, I got called down there this week to talk about... talk to both sides of the chambers about, ‘What can we work out in the last minute?’ Because we’re in the two-minute warning and if not we go to sudden death overtime. And who knows what’s going to happen,” Hinojosa said.

Dallas ISD predicts a new requirement on how districts write budgets could mean a $100 million per year hit to the district.

Hinojosa said he is optimistic that lawmakers will find a solution that will help, not hurt schools.