Texas lawmakers strike deal on $8.5B school funding package

Zooming in

HB 2 would provide permanent raises for teachers with at least three years of experience through a new teacher retention allotment, a concept that Creighton originally proposed under Senate Bill 26 and folded into HB 2.

In February, Creighton told reporters that Texas “ranks 15th in the nation in starting teacher salaries” but falls behind other states when it comes to paying experienced teachers. The average Texas teacher was paid $62,474 during the 2023-24 school year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. Nationwide, the average teacher salary was $71,699 during the same period, the National Education Association estimated.

Creighton has said the proposed allotment would help close a pay gap between urban or suburban and rural teachers.

In districts with 5,000 students or less, teachers with three to four years of experience would receive a $4,000 raise, while those with at least five years of experience would receive an $8,000 boost. In districts with over 5,000 students, educators with three to four years of experience would get a $2,500 raise, and more experienced teachers would earn a $5,000 raise, according to Creighton’s office.

“For the first time in Texas history, that pay raise will continue beyond this biennium,” Creighton said. “In the past, we've heard those pay raises called ‘stipends’ and ‘bonuses.’ That is not what we have in this legislation.”

Creighton also applauded lawmakers’ work on HB 6, a measure that would give teachers more discretion to remove from the classroom any student who is repeatedly disruptive or threatens the safety of others. He said HB 2 and HB 6 “will satisfy the top two concerns of our 370,000 teachers in this state: Will our campuses and my classroom be safe; will I be safe? And will I be compensated in a way that helps me take care of my family?”

Senators passed HB 6 with a 29-2 vote May 22, and the bill will return to the House.

“Teachers have been begging for help, and many of them are concerned or worried or frightened, and [it’s] our desire to help them establish control and safety in the classroom, not just for themselves, but for all the students that are trying to learn,” Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, said during Senate floor debate on HB 6.

More details

During a May 15 hearing on the Senate’s version of HB 2, some school leaders said they were concerned that HB 2 would not prioritize increases to the basic allotment, which is used to fund a variety of needs, including purchasing classroom materials, renovating facilities and paying teachers or support staff. The updated proposal would raise the basic allotment by $55, down from a $395 increase previously approved by the House.

“The small increase in the basic allotment will provide only limited help in dealing with increased inflationary costs for insurance, utilities and transportation,” Boerne ISD trustee Rich Sena told senators May 15. “However, we realize there are only so many public dollars to go around.”

State lawmakers last adjusted the basic allotment in 2019, raising it from $5,140 to $6,160. Raise Your Hand Texas, a public school advocacy organization, has estimated that Texas would need to increase the basic allotment to at least $7,500 to keep pace with recent inflation.

However, senators opted instead to give schools $1.3 billion to cover fixed costs, which could include health insurance, teacher pensions and transportation. Senators noted May 22 that HB 2 would restructure Texas’ school finance system.

“Everything is not flowing through a basic allotment anymore,” Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said. “We have different allotments specified for specific purposes.”

Creighton said the $55 basic allotment increase is “less than 10%” of the new money schools would receive.

“Texans expect education dollars to support teachers and students and [staff],” he said. “The students, at the end of the day, they're our focus.”

Also of note

Lawmakers also seek to help prospective teachers become certified and phase out the hiring of uncertified educators through HB 2.

Of the 49,400 teachers hired in Texas during the 2023-24 school year, over 17,000 of them were uncertified, per TEA data. The Senate’s version of HB 2 would offer stipends for teacher candidates who complete one of several educator certification programs, including university-based programs and classroom residencies.

Beginning in the 2029-30 school year, districts would no longer be allowed to hire uncertified teachers to teach core subjects, senators said May 22.

HB 2 would also invest $433 million in helping young students succeed in reading and math; provide $430 million for schools to spend on school safety equipment and initiatives; and increase state funding for special education by $850 million.

The proposal would overhaul special education funding to allocate resources based on students’ individual needs, rather than where they receive services. In a December 2022 report, the Texas Commission on Special Education Funding said switching to this funding model would "effectively account for the unique, individualized needs of students with disabilities.”

One more thing

Although House leaders said they were on board with the Senate’s changes to HB 2, some of the lower chamber’s Democrats said they were concerned that the amended bill would not do right by public schools.

“As schools are cutting programs and closing campuses, Texas Republicans expect applause for a deal that still leaves us in a funding crisis,” Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, said in a May 21 statement. “Texans will see this deal for what it is: too little, too late.”

The following day, the Texas Association of School Boards expressed support for HB 2, saying the legislation would provide “critical funding.”

“Strong public schools are the foundation of thriving communities and key contributors to the economic success of Texas,” the association said in a statement. “Continued investment is essential not only to address today’ challenges, but to help public schools remain stable, effective and equipped to serve future generations.”

Support from a simple majority of the 150-member House, or 76 votes, would be needed to approve the Senate’s changes to the bill. There are 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats in the lower chamber, according to the Texas Legislative Reference Library.

If HB 2 is approved by both chambers, it will head to the governor’s desk. During a May 14 news conference, Abbott called the amended bill “the best thing we can do for the most important part of education, and that is providing our teachers with a pay raise they need and deserve.”