Texas
State Government
Governor
Greg Abbott (R)
State Senate
12
Democrats,
19
Republicans
State House
64
Democrats,
86
Republicans
Economic well-being - Texas
Extreme poverty rate
0.08
Food insecurity
0.176
Minimum wage
7.25
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.313
Poverty rate
13.4%
Unemployment rate
4.1
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
16.7
Poverty by demographic - Texas
Child poverty rate
0.18
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
79000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
463000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
1915000
Senior poverty rate
12.3 %
Women in poverty
15,455,699
Corpus Christi Caller-Times, February 26, 2013: Texas House panel prepares for cuts
"Sequestration could potentially strip $1.4 million in federal funds from the region's largest school district, Corpus Christi ISD. If the cuts go through, the district expects to see reductions in Title 1 grants, which are given to districts with high percentages of low-income students to help them meet academic standards, and in IDEA grants, which pay for services for special needs students."
The Dallas Morning News, February 11, 2013: (Op-Ed) Education's role in immigration debate
"In Texas, the achievement data about students who come from disadvantaged homes is not good. Evidence from the state's latest school finance lawsuit reveals that 47 percent of low-income ninth-graders failed at least one of their high school end-of-course exams last year - after three tries. Collectively, low-income ninth-graders failed 262,343 end-of-course exams last year - after three tries."
The Houston Chronicle, January 27, 2013: Poorer Texas kids lead to higher education costs
"Texas' high child poverty rate is beginning to make demands on the state's budget, and experts warn the state needs to spend more on education or the state's economy could slow."
Abilene Reporter-News, January 06, 2013: Brokovich looks out for 'underdog' students by leading AISD's federal programs division
"The number of homeless students in the AISD has also increased. In the last five years, it has jumped from 617 homeless students in fall 2008 to 811 this year. Brokovich said the number of unaccompanied homeless students - those who do not have adult supervision - has also risen, with only 20 students claiming that status in 2010, but more than 130 homeless students this year. He said most of the homeless students generally attend the district's secondary schools."
Austin American-Statesman, January 05, 2013: (Editorial) The Legislature must do more than just get by in addressing public schools
"Republican House Speaker Joe Straus has pledged to give money back to public schools. That is one of the best investments any state can make, and goodness knows Texas, with its booming population - many younger than 18 and from low-income families - needs to make those investments. The state's high school graduation rates hit an all-time high in 2011, as nearly 86 percent of students graduated in four years, according to the Texas Education Agency. Research also shows that low-income third-graders who attended preschool passed the third-grade TAKS tests at higher rates than their peers who did not attend preschool."
San Antonio Express-News, December 26, 2012: Choice program is a suicide pact for schools
"Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick of Houston are proposing that Texas businesses be allowed to claim a franchise tax credit of up to 25 percent and direct it to nonprofit groups that would fund private school scholarships for low-income children."