Deputy Director, Education and Workforce Policy
Renzo covers K-12 and AI policy, with a focus on college and career readiness and the responsible and effective use of technology in education, as well as school finance and assessment and accountability. He joined Texas 2036 in August 2021 as a Policy Advisor and returned as Deputy Director in January 2026.
This is the third installment in the Texas 2036 blog series on House Bill 8, this legislative session’s main effort at overhauling the funding formulas for the state’s community colleges and providing supports for the workforce of the future. We conclude our review of the community college finance reforms in HB 8 by diving into…
This is the second installment in the Texas 2036 blog series on House Bill 8, this legislative session’s main effort at overhauling the funding formulas for the state’s community colleges. In an earlier blog, we described in detail the new dynamic funding formulas and how they focus on growth of students’ outcomes and alignment with…
This session, the Texas Legislature adopted the work of the Texas Commission on Community College Finance and transformed the way the state financially supports its community colleges through House Bill 8. Texas 2036 has engaged in the state’s reform efforts by offering testimony both to the TCCCF and the Legislature, helping lead education and business…
Lawmakers this session made a series of key investments in higher education and emerging technologies, moves designed to keep Texas at the forefront of innovation and job growth in the years to come. The session’s key funding bills — HB 1, the state budget, and SB 30, the supplemental appropriations bill — directed significant dollars…
The Texas House and Senate have passed the General Appropriations Act, House Bill 1, and the supplemental appropriations bill, Senate Bill 30. The state leveraged a historic budget surplus to invest into the future of Texas. Across many of these investments, the Legislature was resoundingly clear that the development of a long-term skilled workforce is…
Texas 2036 Policy Advisor Renzo Soto offered testimony Monday in front of the Texas House Committee on Higher Education in favor of House Bill 8, community college finance reform, and why this investment matters for Texas’ workforce. The bill was voted out of committee unanimously, 9-0. Here’s his testimony: Key Takeaways: The rates of Texas…