Major school finance bill scheduled for Senate committee hearing

Three weeks after passing the House, HB 2 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado), the session's signature school finance bill, will finally be heard in the Senate K-16 Education Committee on May 15. 

HB 2's journey from the House Public Education Committee to the Senate K-16 Education Committee has included hours of public testimony, lengthy floor debates, and many amendments. House and Senate leaders have worked in advance of this hearing to refine the bill into something both chambers can agree on. Although the text of the latest version of the bill is not yet available at the time of this post, a high-level overview of the changes features the Senate's approach to teacher pay, teacher certification and increases to the basic allotment. 

Teacher pay

The House version of HB 2 would have increased pay for teachers and other non-administrative employees by significantly increasing the basic allotment, but the Senate approach opts instead to directly increase teachers' salaries based on the size of their school district and how much teaching experience they have. The smallest raises of $2,500 would go to teachers with three to four years of experience in urban districts (defined as those with more than 5,000 students); teachers in these districts with 5+ years of experience would receive $5,500. The largest raises of $10,000 would go to teachers with five or more years of experience in smaller districts, while their colleagues with 3-4 years of experience would receive $5,000. Non-teachers, and teachers with fewer than 3 years of experience, would not be provided a raise under this bill.

Teacher certification

HB 2 also seeks to address the increasing number of uncertified teachers in Texas classrooms. The bill would phase out District of Innovation exemptions that allow uncertified teachers for foundation classes and provide grants to incentivize uncertified teachers to seek full certification. HB 2 also creates a mentorship allotment grant that would pay veteran teachers to mentor novice teachers.

Special education

Currently, special education funding is distributed based on how much time a student receives services throughout the day, but HB 2 would change that framework to instead provide funding based on the intensity of services needed for each student. Special education advocates have long argued that this would more effectively distribute money to schools with high-need students. Because federal law governs most special education requirements, school districts have tapped into their general funding to appropriately meet students' needs and comply with federal requirements, but HB 2 would allow districts to free up that money for other uses.

Other changes

HB 2 also rolls in provisions from a handful of other House and Senate bills, including bills related to early math and literacy skills and CTE pathways. The bill would also increase the School Safety Allotment, bolster the small- and mid-size district allotment, and increase funding for charter school facilities.

HB 2 is certain to be a significant piece of education legislation, if passed and signed by the governor. Senate and House leaders appear to support this negotiated version, but it is not clear whether the House as a whole would favor the Senate approach.

With just two weeks left in the session a lot can happen, so stay tuned for more Capitol Updates to learn about the latest.