The Texas House filed legislation Thursday that would increase public school funding by $220 per student, raising the base amount from $6,160 to $6,380 per pupil annually. The proposal, House Bill 2, was filed by Republican Representative Brad Buckley of Salado, alongside other education-related bills including a voucher program and STAAR exam overhaul, though education advocates say the funding increase falls short of their requests.
House Bill 3, also authored by Buckley, would establish education savings accounts allowing parents to use taxpayer money for private school tuition. The program’s benefits would be tied to public education funding levels.
“That is real money to classrooms. Not just money that is spent on public education, but real money in the classrooms,” House Speaker Dustin Burrows said during a Thursday press conference, local media outlet Texas Tribune.
“The Texas House is preparing to transform education in our state this session with our two-step proposal to provide a historic investment in classrooms while expanding educational opportunity for Texas parents and students,” Burrows stated in a press release.
School administrators and education advocates have been requesting increased basic allotment funding to address inflation and higher costs since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many districts have had to pass deficit budgets recently.
The basic allotment hasn’t increased since 2019, with previous attempts failing. During the last legislative session, lawmakers were unable to increase funding or teacher pay despite having a $32.7 billion surplus.
House Bill 2 would require school districts to use at least 40% of funding increases for employee raises, up from the current 30% requirement. Texas teachers currently earn an average of $60,716, ranking 30th nationally according to the National Education Association.
Clay Robison, spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association, said the increases are insufficient. He indicated schools need at least $1,000 more per student to account for inflation.
“This is wholly inadequate. They have to do better and they can do better,” Robison said regarding the lawmakers’ efforts.
House Democrats opposed both bills during a Thursday press conference. State Representative James Talarico of Austin said the funding “doesn’t dig us out of the hole that our schools are in.”
“This is a shell game being played by Republican leadership trying to make people think that they have turned the corner and begun to fully fund public education, hoping that we will not notice that the real purpose is to pass a voucher bill,” said State Representative John Bryant of Dallas.
State Representative Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos called the increase an “insult,” noting the Senate’s voucher proposal would provide at least $10,000 per student for private school tuition. She said the bill is “just another way for them to continue to dismantle our public education.”
The bill would restrict hiring uncertified teachers for core subjects like math, reading, and science. In 2023, uncertified teachers made up nearly 40% of new hires in Texas school districts.
Additional funding would go to the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, which rewards high-performing teachers. Almost half of Texas school districts participated in 2023-24, though some critics oppose its reliance on standardized test scores.
The legislation proposes changing special education funding to be based on individual student needs rather than time spent in particular settings. This would fulfill recommendations from state special education task forces.
The bill would also extend free pre-kindergarten eligibility to children with disabilities. Currently, free pre-kindergarten is limited to students meeting specific requirements.
Every Texan’s policy director Chandra Villanueva criticized the proposal for lacking inflation-based adjustments. She expressed disappointment that it wouldn’t change school funding to be based on enrollment rather than attendance.
Texas remains one of few states, including California and Missouri, that bases public school funding on average daily attendance instead of enrollment, which some advocates consider more stable for calculating school funding.
Governor Greg Abbott, who strongly supports school vouchers, previously threatened to veto any legislation increasing public school funding that didn’t include a voucher program. This came after House Democrats and rural Republicans united to defeat voucher legislation in the previous session.
