The Texas House Public Education Committee discussed the extensive school finance bill for over 12 hours at two hearings this week. House Bill 2 proposes a $220 boost, including funding for base schools, limiting certified teachers, and changing funding for special education.
The 148-page proposal would spend nearly $7.6 billion on public education. Bill author Rep. Brad Buckley R-Salado said this would be “more investments in Texas public schools and our education system than any other law that we have submitted to state history.”
The March 6 hearing did not end as in press time, but Buckley said he intends to make changes to HB 2 before voting for the measure at the March 18 meeting.
“It’s important to put more dollars in Texas classrooms. … HB 2 represents a strategic, student-centric investment in public education,” Buckley said on March 4th.
In a nutshell, put it in a nutshell
HB 2 increases the base amount of funds received per student, known as the basic allocation, from $6,160 to $6,380. Some public education advocates said the proposed $220 increase was not as much as what schools need.
“We understand that the bill aims to very specific cost drivers other than basic allocations, and is alleviating some of the pressure from basic allocations. …But we currently feel that the $220 increase will not restore the purchasing power of the district in 2019, when the allocation last increased,” said Kelly Rusty, head of government relations for the Texas Board of Education, on March 4.
The bill also expands the portion of the basic allocations schools must spend on teachers’ pay. Current state law uses at least 30% of the increase in basic allocations and provides for raising wages for non-dose staff, including teachers, nurses, and counselors. HB 2 expands it to 40%. I propose to eliminate restrictions at the odds of the Texas Senate teacher pay plan.
Buckley proposed expanding teacher incentive allocation, a program designed to help teachers go down the path to six-figure pay. Similar to the Senate proposal, educators recognized under the TIA can earn up to $36,000 in addition to their general salary under HB 2. The current maximum boost is $32,000.
“(This) strengthens the workforce of educators, ensuring that many of the most effective teachers are rewarded and retained in the classroom. … With these two things… teachers will see a significant wage increase next year,” Buckley said on March 4th.
HB 2 also prohibits school districts from hiring unclear educators to teach English, mathematics, science and social studies courses. Of the 49,400 teachers employed in Texas between 2023 and 24, more than 17,000 were unlicensed, according to data from Texas Educational Institutions.
For special education, the bill proposes an overhaul of funding to allocate resources based on the individual needs of students, rather than where they are served. In a December 2022 report, the Texas Special Education Funding Committee said that the switch to the funding model would “effectively explain the unique, personalized needs of students with disabilities.”
detail
During the Feb. 25 hearing, Tee Commissioner Mike Morest said accreditation of teachers on committee members was a “area worthy of important attention.”
“We’ve been almost entirely in hiring uncertified teachers over the past three years. Most of the first year teachers are not currently recognized,” says Morath. “We’re setting these people on very rough rides.”
HB 2 will create a new state allocation to help districts pay future teachers to complete classroom residency programs to obtain educational certificates. According to the bill, residents will receive at least $3,000 in scholarships.
“For the first time in Texas, it will be investing in teacher preparation and certification,” Buckley said on March 4th.
Kailey Lambert, an elementary school teacher at Midland ISD, participated in a paid teacher residency program while at university. Lambert told the committee on March 4 that she was paired with her mentor teacher and gave her a “safety net for making mistakes” before entering the classroom herself.
“Without the scholarships I received through the Teacher Residency Program, I wouldn’t have been able to focus on preparing myself to become an educator,” Lambert said. “As I had, the opportunity to acquire and learn is desperately needed to attract more candidates and participate in high-quality programs that will help them become successful educators and stay in their profession.”
R-Plano MP Jeff Leach said on March 4th that his wife is currently working to become a certified teacher. Leach said that certification costs around $5,000, and for some Texans, this is an “unsurmountable hurdle for those called to teach.”
It is also worth noting
The state legislators finally adjusted the base amount of fundraising schools they received in 2019, increasing it from $5,140 to $6,160. Texas will need to increase its basic allocation to at least $7,500 to respond to inflation, according to Raise Your Hand Texas, a public school advocacy organization.
Democrats asked several school leaders on March 4 if the proposed increase in the $220 basic allocation on HB 2 would be sufficient.
“No,” said Greg Gilbert, Santo ISD superintendent and president of the Texas Rural Schools Association. “But I’m happy with the help.”
Gilbert estimated the proposed $220 increase would cost the state around $3 billion, while the $1,300 boost would have a price tag of $11 billion.
Austin ISD principal Mattias Segura testified on March 4 that funding school programs “often … is not nearing the line of matching the services we are offering.” In special education, Segura said the district has received about $97 million from the state and is spending about $169 million.
Chandra Villanueva, policy director for all Texan progressive think tanks, is considering spending $6.5 billion on new asset tax cuts in the session, encouraging lawmakers to use some of the money in public education instead.
“When we made a $22 billion tax cut in our final session, we would consider an additional $6.5 billion tax cut, which is truly surprising and potentially harmful,” Villanueva said on March 4th.
Teacher advocates said a “significant” increase to basic allocations is the best way to ensure an educator’s overall salary increase.
Page Williams, policy director for the Texas Classroom Teachers Association, said her organization appreciates the Senate teacher pay plan. Still, she said raising basic allocations is a “gold standard approach.”
Williams added that lawmakers should not rely on teacher incentive allocations to help educators raise wages.
“We need more funds than directly sent to teachers, diagnosticians, librarians, counselors and paraprofessionals,” she said. “We don’t want to think that committees and legislators are addressing teacher pay issues by including more money for teacher incentive allocations.”
During his discussion with Williams, Rep. James Frank, R. Wichita Falls, said lawmakers need to focus on sending money directly into the classroom.
“I think we all need to remember as lawmakers that whenever we have great new ideas, we emphasize something outside of the classroom,” Frank said on March 4th.
