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Top Stories: School Choice Debate Turns To Special Needs

Ryan Poppe/Texas Public Radio
Sen. Donna Campbell at a school choice rally in 2015.

The top local stories this morning from KERA News:

The expected debate over school choice in next month’s state legislative session will include special needs children. Republican State Sen. Donna Campbell of New Braunfels plans to file legislation that would allow public school dollars to be used to educate special needs children in private schools.

The state gives a public school an average of $5,200 a year for each child it educates.  Campbell’s legislation would allow that money to follow a special needs child to whatever school the child decides to attend.

But The Texas State Teachers Association has consistently opposed shifting public dollars from public schools.

The Conference of State Legislatures says 11 states allow school vouchers to be used for special needs or low income children.

Other stories this morning:

  • In our Friday Conversation, we look at the tumultuous week for the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System. Mayor Mike Rawlings talks about how the fund got into the position it’s in. The fund is a decade away from insolvency if changes aren’t made.
  • The Dallas Marathon kicks off Sunday. Registrations for the full marathon are sold out. Some road closures to keep in mind today: The east and west meter lanes of Young Street is closed from Griffin to Marilla until 7 p.m. After, that area will be closed entirely until 6 a.m Monday. More road closures will follow; get the details here.

You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.  

Former KERA staffer Krystina Martinez was an assistant producer. She produced local content for Morning Edition and KERANews.org. She also produced The Friday Conversation, a weekly series of conversations with North Texas newsmakers. Krystina was also the backup newscaster for the Texas Standard.