On Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2, which includes $8.5 billion of funding for public schools in Texas.
“Now is the time to make Texas No. 1 in educating our children,” said Governor Abbott. “House Bill 2 ensures that our schools are funded better than ever, teacher pay and student funding are at all time highs, reading and math performance will improve and students will be better prepared for the workforce. The foundation is now in place for Texas education to start climbing the ranks.”
The billions in funding going to schools includes $4 billion for teacher and staff pay raises.
For school districts with more than 5,000 students, teachers with 3-4 years of experience will be eligible for a $2,500 raise. Teachers with five or more years of experience will be eligible for a $5,000 raise.
For districts with less than $5,000 students, teachers with 3-4 years of experience will be eligible for a $4,000 raise and teachers with five or more years of experience will be eligible for an $8,000 raise.
Argyle ISD has more than 6,000 students enrolled, Lewisville ISD is nearing 50,000 students enrolled and Northwest ISD recorded more than 31,000 students enrolled at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.
A press release from the Office of Governor Abbott further broke down what the bill funds, specifically:
- $4 billion for teacher and staff pay raises and expansion of the Teacher Incentive Allotment, Texas’ merit-based pay program
- $153 million to expand career and technical education opportunities
- $834 million for special education reforms
- $648 million targeted to strategies for improving early literacy and numeracy
- $187 million for teacher preparation and certification programs
- $430 million to increase the school safety allotment
- $1.3 billion for school district operational costs, including insurance, transportation, and utilities
- $199 million to expand the charter school facilities allotment
- $318 million to provide additional funding to small and rural schools
- $296 million for adjustments to the Tier II funding formula, which provides a $55 basic allotment increase per-student.
Governor Abbott said the expansion of the Teacher Incentive Allotment will set Texas on a path to lead the nation in education.
“Teachers play a key role in the success of Texas students and our great state,” he said. “Texas is awarding thousands of teachers from every corner of our state with the pay raise they deserve—putting them on a path to earning a six-figure salary. With empowered parents, exemplary teachers and exceptional academics, Texas is on a path to be No. 1 in educating our children.”
Under HB 2, the basic allotment for students went up $55, raising it to $6,215 per student. It is the first time since the 2019-20 school year that Texas’s basic allotment has increased, when it went from $5,140 per student to $6,160.
The bill was changed in the Texas Senate. Originally, the bill raised the allotment to $6,555 per student.
Governor Abbott signed the bill a month after he signed SB 2, a bill that passed school voucher programs into law.
