The Legislature gave final approval to a $528 million school finance package the governor promises to sign, ending months of wrangling over how to meet a court order to steer more money to poor districts.
"I think it's a great step forward. We made some very significant changes in the way we're going to do business in public education in the state of Texas," Republican Gov. Bill Clements said Wednesday.In bills passed Tuesday and Wednesday, the House and Senate approved education reforms, budget cuts, fund transfers and a quarter-cent boost in the state sales tax, now 6 cents on the dollar, to help pay for the package.
Clements killed two previous plans because they relied on a half-cent increase.
But he said he agreed to the quarter-cent increase as a compromise and to fend off the prospect of a court-written funding plan. A judge had previously assigned a court master to write a plan if the Legislature failed to do so.