Area schools face tight budgets
Mary Madewell
The Paris News
Sunday, July 20, 2008
School officials faced with increased costs and little, if any, additional revenue say the Texas Legislature’s “hold harmless” decree from 2005 is in fact “harmful.” One county school official said the 2005-2006 student revenue freeze is the reason for a proposed 13-cent increase in Prairiland Independent School District’s 2008 maintenance and operations tax rate.
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Appraisals of Texas commercial property put under microscope; some say land undervalued
KEVIN KRAUSE
The Dallas Morning News
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Battle lines are forming once again on the issue of whether commercial property in Texas is undervalued for taxing purposes, setting the stage for another showdown in the Legislature next year.
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Texas Education Agency Plans School Finance Summit
Texas Education Agency
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Texas Education Agency has been planning a School Finance Summit to identify and explore financial issues important to school districts. This is in preparation of the upcoming 81st session of the Texas Legislature. Our hope is to have productive data and information gathering conversations with the field to offer some possibilities for both short-term and long-term solutions to school finance issues.
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AG's Ruling Concerning the Statutory Minimum Report
Teacher Retirement System
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Attorney General’s Office recently issued Opinion No. GA-0641 addressing the proper statutory minimum salaries to be used in calculating required contributions by school districts to the Teacher Retirement System for compensation above the statutory minimum salary. The Opinion upheld the use of the statutory minimum salaries currently posted on the Texas Education Agency Website.
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Dell foundation to give grant for state education data upgrage
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation announces $750,000 for the Texas Education Agency
Laura Heinauer
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will spend $750,000 on a plan to help overhaul the state's comprehensive but outdated school information and performance database, foundation officials are set to announce today.
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City must budget for revenue lost in new school district rate
Gustavo Reveles Acosta
El Paso Times
Monday, July 14, 2008
The 50-cent decrease in school district tax rates the state mandated three years ago means the city of El Paso must pay an additional $513,000 to the Central Appraisal District next year.
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**NEW** abbreviated
state aid template
(Release 6 dated 7/21/08) for 07-08 and
08-09
has been developed and is now available for download.
Fixing the School Finance System
Without a return to formula
funding, neither the adequacy nor the equity of the system can
be restored and maintained.
HEARING SCHEDULE FOR INTERIM SELECT COMMITTEE ON PROPERTY TAX
RELIEF AND APPRAISAL REFORM
Tue, August 12th — Lubbock County
Tue, August 19th — Harris County
·
FINANCE RELATED PAPERS
Preventing Unnecessary Debt Tax Rate Increases by Removing the
Conflict in the Tax Rate Definitions in the EDA - May 7,
2007
Simple Changes that Would Greatly Improve the Existing Debt
Allotment - May 7, 2007

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