Public Education Spending

Amarillo teachers make the most of high-quality instructional materials

At Eastridge Elementary School, Principal Genie Baca’s teachers have enough challenges. Their students are mostly refugees, recent immigrants from countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Vietnam and Burma, among many others. The parents are often shift workers at local meatpacking or poultry processing facilities, meaning that no one’s home to ensure the children are fed and...

Restoring Private Property Rights: Regulatory Takings

Municipal regulations like zoning ordinances can infringe on private property rights and distort the housing market. Key points: Private property rights are under threat from municipal zoning ordinances and design mandates. Texas law has failed to adequately protect property owners from regulatory takings. By closing the municipal loophole, Texas can be the national leader in...

Hijacked: How the Bond Process is Being Used Against Taxpayers

School bonds are one of the main instruments contributing to Texas’s local government debt, which is currently over half a trillion dollars. Key points: As of 2026, school bond debt in Texas is over $236 billion. In May of 2023, Texas passed 79% of the 245 bond proposals put on the ballot, costing taxpayers $22.9...