Governor signs school finance bill into law

On June 4, Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 2 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado) into law, infusing $8.5 billion into public education in Texas.

The bill is the result of intense negotiations between the House and Senate that lasted most of the legislative session, culminating in a deal shortly before the session ended. The original House proposal infused a significant amount into the basic allotment, while the Senate's approach favored directing funds for specific uses instead.

In the end, the final version of HB 2 much more closely resembles the Senate's approach.

Abbott signed the bill at Salado Middle School, a campus in Buckley's legislative district just north of Austin. He said, "It's time that we Texans collectively recast our gaze to Texas being ranked No. 1 for educating the children of the great state of Texas" during the bill signing. Currently, Texas ranks near the middle of the pack.

Much of the attention on the bill is focused on increasing teacher salaries; Texas ranks highly on starting teacher salaries, but salary growth for experienced teachers has remained flat. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, teachers in districts with 5,000 or more students will receive a $2,500 raise if they have 3-4 years of teaching experience. Those with 5 or more years of experience get a $5,000 raise. Likewise, in districts with fewer than 5,000 students, those raises will be $4,000 and $8,000 for the same experience ranges, respectively. HB 2 also allocates $45 per student to increase salaries for counselors, librarians, nurses, non-administrative staff, and any teachers who might not qualify for the direct raises as described in the bill's language.

Read more about the bill here.

The provisions of HB 2 will take time to be fully implemented, and interpreting how effective they will be at strengthening public education will take even longer. TCTA will stay vigilant to ensure that the bill's provisions work as intended for teachers.