Top Texas House leaders have unveiled a sweeping plan overhauling how Texas pays for schools, seeking to increase funding by $900 per student while scaling back the "Robin Hood" system.
Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty noted that the Legislature hasn't improved school funding for years, but insisted Tuesday, "If we don't do this, we're failing our kids."
The bill has bipartisan House support but could clash with state Senate school finance proposals. That chamber has already approved $5,000 annual raises for teachers and librarians, while the House plan would increase salaries for more kinds of school employees.
Texas currently has school districts in wealthy areas share property tax revenue with counterparts in poor communities. The House plans cuts those payments by $3 billion while increasing the state's funding share.
