Group’s ‘65 Percent Solution’ Gains Traction, GOP Friends

An effort to require school districts to funnel 65 percent of their budgets directly into classrooms is gaining traction in several states.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas signed an executive order in August mandating that school districts implement the 65 Percent Solution, as the idea is called by the nonprofit group organizing the effort. It also has been endorsed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the leaders of both chambers of Arizona’s legislature, and other top state officials.

But while the group pushing the idea is led by a businessman with a bipartisan background, all of those politicians are Republicans. And the group spearheading the effort is targeting states where Democratic governors are expected to...