Texas House, Senate lawmakers reach $8.5 billion school funding deal

Texas House and Senate lawmakers on Wednesday were nearing a deal on an $8.5 billion package to provide new funding for the state's public schools. (Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune)

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House and Senate lawmakers have struck a deal on an $8.5 billion funding package for Texas public schools that will preserve the upper chamber’s push for a modest $55 per-student increase to districts’ base funding, while giving schools more than $1 billion to pay for fixed costs like utilities and teacher pensions.