Don't miss this opportunity next week! We're hosting a member update on Wednesday, May 4, at 2:00 p.m. focused on the topic of elections--bond elections and VATR elections. So if you are planning an election for November, contemplating an election for November, or just want to learn more in case you ever need to know about such elections one day, then this update is for you. We'll give you an overview, talk about things you need to be thinking about, and cover legal do's and don'ts. Click on the button below to register.

Commission on Special Education Funding

The Commission on Special Education Funding met on Monday, April 24, to hear from Texas school districts in regards to the current system of funding for special education, unmet needs, and suggestions for improvements. They heard from school district CFOs, Special Education Directors, and from the Special Education Allotment Advisory Committee.

Read our summary of the hearing

For more information about the Commission, including the materials from presenters at this hearing and links to watch video archives, please see the Commission on Special Education Funding website.

The House Committee on Public Education conducted an interim hearing on Tuesday, April 26, to receive a public education update from Education Commissioner Mike Morath and to take up their interim charges related to the impact of children crossing the Texas-Mexico border on the Texas public school system and PSF investments in Russian businesses and funds.

Read our summary of the hearing.

See Commissioner Mike Morath's presentation slides.

Watch the House's video archive of the hearing.

The Texas Commission on Virtual Education met on Wednesday, April 27. They heard testimony from a collection of models deemed successful in other states, including:

You can find presentation materials and more information on this hearing on the Commission's website. The next hearing is scheduled for May 25.

We hope you can make plans to join us for our Legislative Planning Workshop coming up June 8-9 in Dallas. We will begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, break late in the afternoon and then reconvene the following morning and conclude by 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 9. We'll assess the current state of affairs, make some projections about what to expect, and work to make plans and establish priorities.

Any administrator or trustee from our member districts are welcome to attend. We hope you will make plans to join us, and click on the link below to register.

A block of rooms are available at a discounted group rate at the DoubleTree for those who would like to make a room reservation. This discount has a deadline, and discounted reservations must be made by May 22.

Here is latest information on the legislative committees, commissions and a task force that we are tracking.

This Commission met Monday, April 25, See the summary of that hearing above. The date of their next hearing has not yet been announced.

The House Committee on Public Education met on Tuesday, April 26. See the summary above. The topic of the committee's next hearing will be school finance monitoring the implementation of bills such as HB 3 (2019) and HB 1525 (2021).

This Commission met on April 27. Their next hearing will be Wednesday, May 25.

The Senate Committee on Finance will meet next week on Wednesday, May 4, at 10:00 a.m. to take up the topic of inflation, Russia, and state pension reforms (including TRS). See the hearing notice here. On Wednesday, May 17, the Finance Committee will take up property tax relief. May 17 hearing notice.

The Task Force will meet again on June 2.