State’s Finances
As an indicator of the health of the Texas economy, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced (May 1) that April’s state sales tax revenue of $2.58 billion is 9.3 percent less than April a year ago, the steepest decline since January 2010.
Hegar blamed the decline on coronavirus-forced business closures, crowd limits and stay-at-home orders, as well as the precipitous drop in worldwide demand for oil.
H-E-B Accolades
Congratulations to the 2020 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards winners who will share in more than $430,000 in cash awards and grants. Among the winners, and their cash prizes are:
- Early Childhood Facility: McKinney ISD Lawson Early Childhood School, $25,000.
- School Board: Mission CISD, $25,000.
- Small School District: Boerne ISD, $50,000.
- Large School District: Dallas ISD, $100,000.
Cash awards of $5,000 to $50,000 for themselves and their campuses were also awarded to numerous Texas principals and teachers.
See the complete list of winners here.
Election News
A total of 1,845 votes were cast in the BHISD election, which was held in conjunction with a Mont Belvieu municipal election. The district reported receiving 548 mail-in votes.
Also on May 2: Voters in the 68-student Higgins ISD and the 882-student Canadian ISD approved consolidating the two districts.
And: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter (May 1) to various election officials — in advance of the July 14 major party run-offs — stating that a voter’s fears of contracting COVID-19 is not an allowable reason for voting by mail. (Paxton is appealing a judge’s ruling that COVID-19 concerns are a valid reason for a citizen to vote by mail.)
Meanwhile, several Texas cities sent a letter to the governor (April 29) asking that he set an optional August election date, instead of only giving them — and other governmental entities — the option of moving their May 2 elections to the November 3 general election date.
Most governmental entities (including ISDs) with May 2 elections reluctantly changed their elections to November after the Texas Secretary of State strongly urged them to do so.