HOUSE, SENATE ANNOUNCE DEAL ON SCHOOL FINANCE
(AUSTIN) — Leadership in each chamber announced Thursday evening that they have reached agreement on a package to deliver $8.5 billion in new funding to public schools. This follows weeks of negotiations as lawmakers worked out how to get that money into classrooms and into the pockets of teachers. “We have been working diligently with the House in countless meetings and thoughtful discussions throughout the session to create the most effective school finance bill in Texas history,” Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said in a statement. “House Bill 2 targets specific needs that will help create the best education system in America. I am proud of the work that members in both chambers, and both parties, have done. My priority has always been to pay teachers as professionals and focus on student outcomes over the 1,200 districts across Texas.”
The bill includes $4.2 billion for teacher pay raises, though the full structure has yet to be revealed. The Senate version offered permanent pay raises for teachers entering their third year of teaching and again in their fifth year, but it’s not yet clear how much of that schedule will be in the final bill. It would also expand the teacher incentive allotment, a merit-based bonus paid to qualifying teachers. It also includes $500 million for raises for non-teaching non-administrative staff like custodians, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers.
The new bill would also create a basic cost allotment to cover costs for things like utilities, increased district burden for teacher pensions that the new raises will bring, and insurance costs. It would pay for pre-k programs for the children of teachers in districts that have such programs, interventions for students lagging behind their peers in early grades, and expands career and technology programs.
“The path to finding the best solution for funding Texas’ public school system this session has taken many long hours,” said Dallas Senator Royce West. “But I think, with HB 2, substantial funding will be provided that will give teachers much deserved raises, as well as providing a separate allotment that will increase pay for auxiliary and support staff and offset the costs associated with insurance for school properties, retirement and other benefits, transportation, gas costs, etc.”
The Senate is expected to take up the bill late Thursday or Friday.
Late Thursday, the House approved an amendment that would revert the bill dealing with the state’s consumable hemp industry, SB 3, to the version passed out of the Senate. The version sent to the full House out of committee would’ve still permitted the manufacture of hemp consumables, but with much stricter regulations and safeguards to prevent sales to minors. This is an approach that ran contrary to the wishes of Lt. Governor Patrick and bill author and Lubbock Senator Charles Perry, who wanted the Senate’s total ban on any THC of any variant in any hemp consumable. “I want to thank Speaker [Dustin Burrows] and [Representative Tom Oliverson], and House members for their support in passing SB3 by a vote of 95-44 on second reading to ban THC and protect Texas children and adults from this dangerous, highly-potent, uncontrolled substance, that is destroying lives and sold primarily within blocks of our schools.” Patrick posted on social media. The bill now heads back to the Senate for concurrence or to request a conference committee to consider House amendments to the bill.
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