Texas School Accountability Standards 101

January 17, 2008

Brooke Dollens Terry

Texas has a complex public school accountability system to evaluate schools and school districts. The system lacks rigor, is too complex, and does not align with the federal accountability system. To hold schools accountable, policymakers need to make significant changes to the state accountability system.

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Cunningham v. City of Austin

Date Filed: March 23, 2026 Original Court: Travis County District Court Case Status: Pending Under Article XI, Section 5 of the Texas Constitution, home rule cities can impose taxes as long as those taxes are authorized by law or by their city charters. The Texas Tax Code requires that local taxes be approved by voters through...

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Taxes & Spending

Taxes are High. Local Spending is to Blame.

Over the last few months, local property taxes have been described as: “steep,” “burdensome,” “stressful,” “too high,” and “out-of-control.” Yet despite these sharp (and accurate!) criticisms of Texas’ property tax, many local governments seem oblivious to the system’s excesses, as evidenced by the adoption of high tax rates this year (see TPPF’s Taxman Cometh series) as well as historical tax, spending, and debt patterns. Worse, what once may have been excused as indifference or detachment now borders on exploitation. Consider some recent revelations about local government compensation. ...

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Election Integrity

Consolidating Elections to Increase Turnout and Save Taxpayer Dollars

Uniform election dates produce four main benefits: 1) higher voter turnout, 2) election administration cost savings, 3) decreased likelihood of special interests dominating a low-turnout election, and 4) reduced election worker burnout. Key points: Seven states require municipal elections to be consolidated with even-year federal election dates. This increases turnout and saves $29.5-129 million for...

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Brooke Dollens Terry

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