Texas’ student reading and math results are lackluster and declining. According to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), 55% of Texas third-graders are reading below grade level and 52% are doing math below grade-level. Similarly, according to the April 2018 Nation’s Report Card (NAEP), Texas reading scores are some of the lowest in the nation and declining: Texas ranks 46th in fourth-grade reading (down from 40th in 2015). In addition, the achievement gaps between white and minority children are persistent and the state’s economically disadvantaged population is increasing.
Taxes & Spending
Eliminating the School M&O Property Tax
Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the nation. In 2014, the Tax Foundation reported that Texas had the sixth highest effective property tax rate. In 2016, more than 5,100 local tax jurisdictions levied $56.1 billion in property taxes, or $2,000 on average for every Texan—man, woman, and child. And property taxes continue...
September 1, 2018