Lege mulls school finance overhaul, but tax fight may loom

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas House is debating a bipartisan plan to pump $9 billion more into public schools, attempting to fix a funding scheme that the state Supreme Court has deemed barely constitutional.

It seeks to increase annual, per-student funding by nearly $900 to $6,030, boosts funding for children who need to learn English and gives school districts discretion on allocating funds.

The bill is expected to pass the House on Wednesday, but may face hurdles in the Senate, where lawmakers differ on how to tamp down ever-growing property taxes.

Schools rely heavily on property taxes. But lawmakers have promised to increase classroom funding while cutting property taxes.

Disagreements over both issues sank a school finance bill in 2017 — and could hinder efforts this session, despite broad support from both parties.