Co-chairs Announce Release of School Finance Website

AUSTIN--State Senator Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, and Representative Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington, co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance, today announced the launch of "The Texas School Finance Project," a website dedicated to the Legislature's ongoing work on public school finance. The site will be available to both the public and members of the Legislature.

"I have always believed in government in the open," said Shapiro, "and I maintain that the best ideas do not always come from Austin, but from the people whose interests we represent here in the Legislature. They should all be privy to this important discussion on an issue that greatly affects them all."

"I think that giving the public and all members of the Legislature an opportunity to see the different testimony received by the committees studying this issue is a good thing. Understanding the issues we are confronted with may give some understanding of how large a task we have," Representative Grusendorf said.

The website gives visitors an opportunity to review testimony the committees have received and view materials distributed during the hearings.

Other information on the website includes:

• Information about the House Select Committee on Public School Finance and its subcommittees
• Information about the Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance
• Information regarding the research team and its reports to the Legislature

Both Shapiro and Grusendorf agree that the new reference source will be of tremendous value to those interested in following the public school finance issue.

The new site can be found at the following URL: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us

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