It's been 50 years since San Antonio families took Texas' unequal school funding system to court. A court-mandated fix called Robin Hood supposedly fixed the problem 30 years ago (and has been vilified ever since). Yet, today's school funding formula continues to favor some districts over others—and it might not be the districts you expect. Dozens of school districts receive at least double the state average in per-student funding — some as much as $50,000 per student. This reporting project shows why this is a problem and how it happened. The data-driven stories will also explore the political implications and potential solutions.
Have questions about how school funding works in Texas? Ask them here.
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San Antonio families have been fighting for school funding equity for 50 years. But wide disparities in funding still exist. -
According to a TPR analysis of state data, even with recapture, today’s school funding system still isn’t fair. And, because the funding system is also really complicated, the ways it’s unfair aren’t very well understood. -
Pretty much everything costs more than it did in 2019. But in Texas, the state’s public schools are still getting the same amount they were four years ago. -
An obscure element of the Texas school finance system called Golden Pennies leaves a handful of districts with far more money than they need. -
Many Texas families have been fighting for school funding equity for 50 years. But wide disparities in funding still exist. Texas Public Radio's education reporter, Camille Phillips, explains the problem and why it's been difficult to solve.
