Here's your weekly wrap-up of education news from ATPE Governmental Relations:

• Busy week as SBOE holds last meetings of the year
• Rep. Bonnen (R-Angleton) announces he has votes to succeed Speaker Straus
• Working group on revenues discusses "Robin Hood"

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath addresses SBOE, November 14, 2018.

The State Board of Education (SBOE) met this week to discuss a variety of topics in what would be its last series of meetings before the year's end.

On Wednesday, the board voted to increase its distribution from the Public School Fund to 2.9%. This action takes place after a dispute earlier this year between the SBOE and the General Land Office's School Land Board (SLB). Both the SBOE and the SLB manage investment portfolios that fund public education, but an unusual move by the SLB to bypass the SBOE and put funding directly into the Available School Fund (ASF) means that the SBOE will have less money to support classrooms directly.

Other topics of discussion this week included the streamlining of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for social studies, the board's final discussion on the Long Range Plan (LRP) for public education, and the SBOE's legislative priorities for the upcoming session in 2019.

The Board also heard from Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath. The commissioner addressed concerns that the agency's Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) seeks less state funding than in previous years, telling the board the agency is simply following the funding formulas established by the legislature.

During the Board's discussion with Commissioner Morath, members also requested updates on issues such as Senate Bill (SB) 1882, a bill passed during the 85th legislative session that allows public school districts to partner with privately-run charter schools; the recent ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld the U.S. Department of Education's punitive actions against Texas for underfunding special education programs; and transparency regarding the instructional materials portal launched in 2017.

In a press conference earlier this week, state Rep. Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton) announced that the race for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives was "over," as he had secured enough pledges for votes to make him the definitive winner. While the Speaker's race won't officially be over until January, when the House convenes for the 86th legislative session and formally votes for the next speaker, that hasn't stopped Bonnen from proceeding as the presumptive speaker-elect, hiring key staff and putting in place a transition team.

Rep. Bonnen suggested that school finance will be the top priority of the Texas House in the upcoming legislative session, and he has vowed to work with his counterpart across the rotunda. Bonnen and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick released a joint statement this week affirming their commitment to unity and working together in the upcoming session. Rep. Bonnen wrote, "The Lieutenant Governor and I share a strong commitment to doing the people's business."

School finance commission working group on revenues meeting, November 13, 2018.

On Tuesday, the Texas Commission on Public School Finance working group on revenues discussed the issue of wealth equalization through recapture, which is commonly referred to as "Robin Hood" under the current school finance system.

Led by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), the group heard testimony from a variety of stakeholders, including former state Sen. Tommy Williams, who testified on behalf of the governor's office. Williams delivered the first public explanation of the governor's plan to cap local tax revenue. A detailed account of the meeting can be found in this blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Mark Wiggins.