School Reform Bills Headed to Governor

Two bills marking the largest reform of public-school accountability and financing since No Child Left Behind are on their way to Gov. Rick Perry for signing. The bills' fates were intertwined: The conference committee for the funding reforms in House Bill 3646 couldn't even start until the school accountability reforms in HB 3 were finalized, since they had so many issues and conference committee members in common. It may take months to gauge the full impact of the two massive bills (627 pages in total), but parents at Pearce Middle School may see a glimmer of hope in HB 3 for their school, currently in its fourth year classified as "academically unacceptable" and facing mandatory repurposing. House Public Education Committee Chair Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, explained, "At the discretion of the commissioner, if the school is likely to make it, they can get another year."