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.
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...