On Wednesday, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath recommended SBOE members approve the opening of Infinite Minds in Arlington, Pathway Academy in Big Spring, The Texas Girls School in Austin, Unparalleled Preparatory Academy in Manor and Visionary STEM Academy in Terrell.  The SBOE is slated to hold a preliminary vote Wednesday and will decide Friday whether to move the charter schools’ applications forward. If it does, the applications will return to the TEA for a final review.Representatives from each of the schools also gave presentations to the 15-member body. Some of the schools would focus on making STEM careers more accessible to students and equipping them with entrepreneurship skills while at least one other would place a heavy emphasis on literacy.  The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.  The timing of the new charter proposals frustrated some teacher advocacy groups and public education advocates, who say the new schools would siphon state funds away from traditional school districts.  State lawmakers failed to approve additional funds for public schools during last year’s legislative session amid the fight for school vouchers, which would allow families to use taxpayer dollars to pay for private and religious schools.