Graydon Hicks News Today

Private school partnerships boost district enrollment

Reader letters published in our October 2023 issue.

The Odessa American is the leading source of local news, information, entertainment and sports for the Permian Basin.

For the Alpine Independent School District, being $200,000 short of a balanced budget this school year meant dipping into its savings again.

Texas lawmakers ended this year’s regular legislative session without giving public schools any money for employee raises — so school districts are finding ways to give their workers modest raises, even if it means digging into their savings accounts. “We’ve taken the position that in the absence of state leadership, we’re going to take care […]

Texas lawmakers ended this year’s regular legislative session without giving public schools any money for employee raises — so school districts are finding ways to give their workers modest raises,

Texas lawmakers ended this year’s regular legislative session without giving public schools any money for employee raises — so school districts are finding ways to give their workers modest raises,

Lawmakers this year didn’t approve extra money to help schools pay for raises despite having an unprecedented $32 billion surplus — even after Gov. Greg Abbott commissioned a task force last year to improve teacher pay and retention.

The Odessa American is the leading source of local news, information, entertainment and sports for the Permian Basin.

The conservative, gun-toting superintendent of Fort Davis Independent School District is fed up: “I’m not patient enough to spend time with assholes in Austin, and I’m not rich enough to buy any votes.”