Texas
In hearing, Texas Democrats criticize school leaders for being too “nice” about their funding needs
/static.texastribune.org/media/files/e0dd484a1e675a2d7fdcc879fa73b9fa/0913%20Odessa%20School%20Tours%20EH%2092.jpg?ssl=1 "In hearing, Texas Democrats criticize school leaders for being too “nice” about their funding needs")
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A group of Texas superintendents on Tuesday had an opportunity to argue why lawmakers should increase the base amount of state funding their schools receive for each student. But not all of them did so, leading Democrats to criticize the district leaders for not taking a more assertive approach to an issue threatening the stability of public education.
The exchange between school administrators and Democrats came while the House Public Education Committee conducted the first of two public hearings this week over the chamber’s priority school funding legislation. House Bill 2, a sweeping measure authored by Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, would increase schools’ base funding, raise merit pay for teachers, enhance state support for educator preparation and overhaul how Texas pays for special education.
The first day of the hearings featured testimony only from guest speakers invited by lawmakers — which included school superintendents, teachers and public education advocates — while the second hearing slated for Thursday will invite the general public to comment on the bill.
One of the key parts of the House proposal that received significant attention Tuesday would raise the base amount of money public schools receive for each student by $220 — a figure that falls significantly short of the roughly $1,000-$1,400 increase public education advocates have called for in recent years.
During an early portion of the 10-hour public hearing, Rep. John Bryant, a Dallas Democrat, asked district officials how much of an increase to schools’ base funding they would need to address their challenges.
“That’s a very hard question,” said Joe Kucera, the superintendent of the Lorena school district who represented the Texas Association of Midsize Schools at the hearing. “Obviously, we’re thankful for anything we get to improve the basic allotment. I don’t know that I have that number off the top of my head. I know that I’m very thankful for Chairman Buckley to give us an increase to the basic allotment.”
One of the reasons Kucera showed up in support of HB 2, he added, was “because the reality is we need an increase to the basic allotment.”
The answer did not satisfy Bryant, who sought to make clear that the hearing provided schools an opportunity to help improve the bill before it leaves the committee. He then directed the question to Marty Crawford, superintendent of the Tyler school district. But the response was similar.
“I think it would be irresponsible of me to give you a number that would satisfy all of those needs, because we also need to make sure we keep the taxpayers in mind on this too and making sure that we’re not penalizing them, because they’re struggling as well,” Crawford, testifying on behalf of the Texas School Alliance, said. “I think the starting point of around $220 is a good starting point. I would love to see an increase to that. If you want to put something to it, double that and see how it goes. But again, y’all are the decision makers on that.”
Kelly Rasti, associate executive director of Governmental Relations for the Texas Association of School Boards, said adjusting the basic allotment for inflation since 2019 would equate to over a $1,300 increase. But Rasti said she would need to see projections on how the bill would affect school district funding before providing a clear answer to Bryant’s question.
“I think it’s definitely higher than $220,” Rasti said. “It’s probably more in the $600 range.”
Rep. Gina Hinjosa, D-Austin, said she appreciated school officials’ “pleasant” approach to their testimony. But if they want to see meaningful increases to public education funding, she added, they will need to voice their concerns in the same ways they have done so privately.
“You can’t let nice get in the way of advocating for what your districts need. If this is enough, then OK, but you can’t expect us to fight if you’re not going to fight for your districts,” Hinojosa said. “When you close schools in your district, when you lay off teachers, you’re going to own that if you’re not going to come here and fight for what you need.”
The House recently introduced its school funding bill as part of a broad education agenda that includes establishing a private school voucher program and reworking the state’s discipline and school accountability standards. Buckley, the Salado Republican who chairs the Public Education Committee, said Tuesday that lawmakers would spend the next two weeks revising the school funding proposal before voting March 18 on whether to send the measure to the full Legislature for consideration.
Lawmakers have not increased the base amount of money schools receive from the state, referred to as the basic allotment, since 2019 despite inflation. The basic allotment offers districts the flexibility to raise salaries for essential employees — like bus drivers, nurses and teachers — and help them combat the rising costs of goods and services that keep their campuses functioning. Districts have said the state’s reluctance to raise the funds flowing into that pot of money has only worsened their struggles, ranging from budget deficits and program cuts to school closures and teacher shortages.
In the buildup to the legislative session in January, public education advocates sounded the alarm on the dire financial circumstances the lack of significant funding increases has caused. Some lawmakers have also publicly spoken about how district leaders have shown up to their offices pleading for more support.
But Republicans have grown reluctant to increase schools’ base dollars. Instead, they are pushing to direct funds toward specific initiatives like classroom safety and teacher salaries. Texas conservatives have long accused districts of spending too much money on administrators at the expense of instructor pay and student outcomes.
“I think if we had a simple investment in the basic allotment, we sort of skip over two of the most important things we could do, which is to make sure that we keep the best teachers in the classroom, that we incentivize them to stay there,” Buckley said at Tuesday’s hearing. “We pay them as the professionals that they are, but then we also provide the first ever real state investment in educator prep, so we are preparing teachers that are better prepared in the classroom.”
Many of the invited speakers expressed support for the school funding proposal, though they said they saw the bill as a starting point. Both the House and Senate are expected to continue building out their own versions of the legislation in the coming weeks.
Democrats repeatedly asked school leaders at the hearing whether the proposed legislation would provide enough funding to account for inflation since 2019.
“Heck no,” said Greg Gilbert, superintendent of the Santo school district. “But grateful for help.”
That assertiveness was absent in the leaders’ responses to follow-up questions about base funding, which appeared to frustrate several Democrats and at least one Republican.
“If you’re asked a question, don’t sugar-coat it,” said Rep. Charles Cunningham, R-Humble. “Give us an answer, because I can tell you my district … already gave me an answer.”
Gilbert, who showed up on behalf of the Texas Association of Rural Schools, questioned whether a $1,300 basic allotment increase — which he estimated would equate to an $11 billion price tag for the state — was a reasonable ask.
The question concerned Bryant, the Dallas Democrat.
“Yes, $11 billion, I’m ready to put that into public education right now,” Bryant said. “I would suggest that anyone who is going to come up here as a representative of school districts and raise that question, as though that’s too much, maybe somebody else ought to be testifying for the school districts in your organization.”
Disclosure: Texas Association of School Boards and Texas School Alliance have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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The Texas Longhorns haven’t slowed down throughout the 2026 season as they now hold a 29-1 record and continue to push the longest winning streak in program history farther along, as the Longhorns’ winning streak now stands at 27 games.
The Longhorns have strung together consistency and dominance over the last weeks of the season, as recently the Longhorns have become the unanimous top team in the country, earning the top spot, ranking as the No. 1 team in the nation.
And now No. 1 Texas will get back to the gauntlet that is SEC play with a conference series against one of its bitter rivals in the dirt edition of the Lone Star Showdown against the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns get ready to host, welcoming in the Aggies to Red and Charline McCombs Field with the first game of the series set for Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. CT.
How to Watch Texas vs. Texas A&M
Who: No. 1 Texas Longhorns and No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies
What: Lone Star Showdown
When: March 27-29
Where: Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, TX
TV/Streaming: Friday on SEC Network+, Saturday on ESPN2 and Sunday on ESPN
Radio: Longhorn Radio Network
Meet the Opponent
The Aggies head into the Lone Star Showdown series with a 23-9 overall record and have found success through their two conference series of the season, with a 5-1 record in the SEC. Away from home, the Aggies have split four of their away games with a 2-2 record on the road.
With the flip of the calendar from non-conference to conference play, the Aggies find a rhythm on the field, taking their conference opener against the then No. 17-ranked LSU Tigers on the road 2-1 and followed that up with a sweep at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, outscoring the Wildcats 26-9 over the three-game series.
The Longhorns batting order will battle against an Aggies pitching staff that heads into the weekend series with a 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. As a whole, the Aggies pitching staff has recorded 193 strikeouts while holding their opponents to a .225 batting average.
The leader of the Aggies pitching staff is sophomore Sydney Lessentine, as her 72 innings pitched is the most by any other Aggies pitcher. In her 19 appearances this season, Lessentine tallies a 2.43 ERA and .82 WHIP along with 60 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .196 batting average.
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COVINGTON, TX – Clouds of grey and brown smoke rolled through the field as yards of fire roared across dead grass. About 30 acres of Austin and Kelli Rollins’ property burned on the March morning, leaving blackened remnants just a couple dozen yards from the house.
But what looked like a natural disaster was the result of careful planning.
Prescribed burns, like the one onthe Rollinses property, can benefit wildlife populations, encourage the growth of native prairie grasses and limit damage from wildfires. Throughout Texas’ history, fires occurred naturally every three to seven years. Most native species are fire-adapted, Texas A&M’s Prescribed Burn Coordinator David Brooke said, but human fire suppression tactics have substantially decreased fire frequency and changed the landscape.
“From the Edwards Plateau, Hill Country up towards Dallas [and the] Panhandle, our habitat was a lot more open. It’s supposed to be rolling plains, prairies … with intermittent tree cover. What we’re seeing now is woody encroachment,” Brooke said.
At the Rollinses, the prescribed burn began with an introductory meeting to discuss strategy and a test fire on a corner of the lot. The team, largely consisting of members of the North Texas Prescribed Burn Association, edged the field with a water line, creating a moisture barrier to prevent flames from spreading in the wrong direction. Just a few yards behind the lengthening water line, volunteers used drip torches to create a “black line,” a thin burned strip meant to contain the larger plumes of fire that would come later.
The tip of a drip torch is used to set fire to Austin and Kelli Rollins property outside of Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026. They used a controlled burn to regenerate the pasture surrounding their home. Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
The crew collaborated with the wind, starting the test fire at the most downwind corner and expanding the black lines perpendicularly. Winds whipped, around 20 miles per hour, approaching the regulatory safety limit. By working backwards from the fire’s natural destination, the team limited the chance of flames escaping their control.
“Essentially what we’re doing is building a catcher’s mitt so when we light everything up, [the black line] will be there to stop it,” Brandon Martin said, who serves on the board of the prescribed burn association.
North Texas Prescribed Burn Association members perform a controlled burn at a Covington, Texas ranch
Martin, dressed in a hard hat and flame retardant clothing, assisted with this prescribed burn as a volunteer, but he also knows fire professionally through his role in emergency management at the Tarrant Regional Water District. As well as providing advice, he actively spread flames with a drip torch. Torch canisters are filled with fuel that, when turned down, trickles past a burning wick and ignites as it falls to the ground.
This fire is part of an effort to return the field to native prairie, a landscape Martin said depends on fire to thrive. Regular burning limits the growth of saplings and bushes, keeping the environment clear of exotic species that can outcompete native grasses.
North Texas Prescribed Burn Association member Don Nelson radios wind speed and direction to the rest of the crew during a controlled burn on the property of Austin and Kelli Rollins outside of Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Brooke said fire isn’t only a natural land management process, it’s also cost-effective. Invasive species can be removed mechanically with chainsaws and digging, or with chemical application. But in either instance, the labor and equipment costs are usually significantly higher than burning, especially with bigger plots.
“From an economics standpoint, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to use fire,” Brooke said.
The resulting ash is high in nitrogen and phosphorus, which fertilizes the soil. With a little rain, Brooke said fields are often covered in green shoots within a matter of weeks, with a reinvigorated landscape emerging in the following months.
However, Brooke noted “one burn isn’t a silver bullet,” since invasive species could also be fed by these fresh nutrients. But if landowners can commit to following the three- to seven-year historic fire frequency, “it gives your native species the edge.”
Austin Rollins grabs a pressure sprayer to extinguish a spot fire during a controlled burn on his property near Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
New growth also attracts a variety of wildlife, as it is highly palatable and an ideal habitat to spot predators. Brooke said he’s seen a number of landowners undertake prescribed burns to improve the hunting prospects.
Prescribed burns are best known for their power to stopthe spread of wildfire. The lack of fuel for a wildfire after an intentional burn can lower the fire’s intensity and help save structures. Brooke pointed to the town of Borger, which has a history of proactive wildfire management.
In the fall of 2023, they burned a 7-mile-long, 250-foot wide strip along the edge of town, creating a “black line” that proved crucial months later. When one of the 2024 Panhandle wildfires approached the town, it stopped just outside of several neighborhoods at the fire break. Firefighters credited the work with saving homes and possibly lives.
For landowners considering undertaking controlled burns themselves, Brooke said Texas is a “right-to-burn” state – guaranteeing landowners the right to burn on their own property – but there are still regulations to follow. County burn bans must be observed, local authorities notified and some state agencies regulate weather conditions to manage the smoke.
The North Texas Prescribed Burn Association used a backing fire to control a burn on the property of Austin and Kelli Rollins outside of Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026. They burned approximately 30 acres.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Wind speeds are required to be between six and 23 miles per hour during a burn. If the breeze is too low, smoke won’t clear properly and it could settle on nearby roads, potentially causing an accident. If gusts are too high, fire behavior becomes more unpredictable.
Some counties also require a copy of the burn plan to be submitted in advance, which accounts for things like weather, the crew, suppression tactics (such as water, specialized rakes and leaf blowers) and smoke modeling.
Ultimately, given the high winds, the team on the Rollinses land decided to burn back to the black line in smaller strips instead of one roaring blaze. But even those sections could generate significant heat as the orange glow jumped from stem to stem. The gusts cleared most smoke quickly, but each time a new strip ignited, the plumes towered into the distance.
When just a few smoldering spots remained, the group gathered to debrief and share H-E-B sandwich trays. Pairs inquired about other teams’ strategies, but mostly, the crew was pleased with the safety and their progress – finishing the project in about three hours.
“Man, it’s beautiful,” Kelli Rollins said as she took a picture of the charred field against the blue sky. “I know that’s a weird thing to say, but it is.”
A modified Tesla Model X drives into the tunnel entrance before an unveiling event for the Boring Company Hawthorne test tunnel in Hawthorne, south of Los Angeles, California on December 18, 2018. – On Tuesday night December 18, 2018, Boring Co. will
DALLAS – After a months-long competition to convince tech mogul Elon Musk’s Boring Company to choose a U.S. city for a transit tunnel project, one Texas city has made the cut for the final three in consideration.
‘Tunnel Vision Challenge’ finalists
What we know:
The “Thrilling Three” in the running for the Tunnel Vision Challenge, announced in January, are Dallas, New Orleans, LA, and Baltimore, MD.
Dallas is in consideration for a “University Hills Loop.” When the challenge first launched on Jan. 18, the options of “a Loop tunnel, a freight tunnel, a pedestrian tunnel, a utility tunnel, a water tunnel, or any other use case where a tunnel would be useful” were pitched. All three finalists are Loop tunnels, which the company tags as “Teslas in Tunnels!”
Wednesday’s announcement says the projects will be up to one mile long and 12 feet in diameter.
What’s next:
The Boring Company said in their Wednesday announcement that, if possible, it “would be awesome” to build all three Loops.
The company plans to, along with the project stakeholders, enter into a rigorous diligence process which includes “meetings with elected officials, regulators, community leaders, and business leaders; geotechnical borings; and utility and subsurface infra investigation.”
They say they plan to build any and all final projects that are found to be feasible.
Possible second Texas project
The company said there were other projects that caught their attention as interesting projects, which they plan to attempt in the near future.
These include the “Morgan’s Wonderland Tunnel” in San Antonio, as well as the “Hendersonville Utility Tunnel” in Tennessee.
The Source: Information in this article comes from The Boring Company.
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