By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Financially ailing public schools could receive another $500 million for the remainder of the school year under a new proposal in the Texas House.
Republican Rep. Jim Pitts on Thursday says he wants to give Texas classrooms another half-billion dollars through a supplemental spending bill. The House Appropriations Committee chairman says the money could help schools pay for security, maintenance or even hire new faculty.
Budget-slashing lawmakers in 2011 cut public school spending by a historic $5.4 billion. The House budget for the next biennium calls for reversing $1.5 billion of the cuts, and Pitts says giving schools more money now would put a total of $2 billion back in classrooms.
The proposal from Pitts comes a day after the Senate passed a $195.5 billion 2-year budget proposal.
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