This study investigates the regulatory and financial incentives driving up expenditures and examines the fiscal accountability of school districts to taxpayers. Economist Milton Holloway reviews the economic performance of three Texas school districts and finds their accounting systems were not designed to differentiate between required spending and discretionary spending. This calls into question claims that public schools have insufficient funds to provide core instructional programs.
High Demand Shows Texas Families Want More Educational Freedom
The rollout of Texas’ Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) has already become a major success. When state officials opened applications on February 4, demand poured in at an unprecedented rate, with tens of thousands of families rushing to apply. Early figures show the scale of that demand. Within just hours of launch, more than 20,000 applications...