The first in a series of research reports on Texas school finance, this study provides an unprecedented look at how public education dollars fit into the overall financial structure of each of the 50 states. For each state, the authors track the sources of public education dollars, determine the amount spent on public education, and identify the relationship between public education dollars and total state spending. The authors also examine the relationship between state spending, revenues and personal income as a measure of each state’s ability to sustain public education funding. This report offers Texans, as well as those in other states, a fiscal foundation for school finance reform.
K-12 Education
Houston’s Fat Cat Superintendents: The Hidden Benefits How Some of Texas’s Highest-Paid Public Employees Are Systematically Underreporting Their Compensation
Exorbitant and hidden superintendent pay reflects a culture of self-enrichment that has no place in Texas public schools, diverts taxpayer dollars from students, and betrays the public trust. Key points: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) understates the total compensation for some of Texas’s highest-paid superintendents. Though they oversee fewer people, many superintendents have drawn a...
October 29, 2026