Across the Lawn – March 7, 2025

One Thing to Do: Learn More About School Funding

Currently, multiple bills are being discussed at the Capitol that could impact funding for Texas public schools. House Bill 2 (HB 2) by Rep. Buckley is focused on increasing the basic allotment. Senate Bill 26 (SB 26) by Sen. Creighton creates a teacher retention allotment that increases the amount Texas teachers are paid. Senate Bill 260 (SB 260) by Sen. Kolkhorst doubles the school safety allotment.

To better understand how our schools are funded, read Raise Your Hand Texas’ School Finance 101 page or watch our video for a full breakdown. 

Four Things to Know:  

1. House Committee on Public Education Meets for Two Days on HB 2, School Funding Bill 

Chairman Buckley and the House Committee on Public Education heard two days of testimony on school funding this week. The first day, on Tuesday, March 4, included 10 panels of invited testimony from various advocates and organizations, and the second day, on Thursday, March 6, was open to public testimony.

HB 2 would provide $7.5  billion over the next two years in new funding through various programs and allotments, including: 

• Increasing the Basic Allotment by $220 from $6,160 to $6,380

• Increasing the small- and mid-sized district allotment and special education funding weights. Expanding the current Teacher Incentive Allotment program and creating a local optional teacher designation system grant. Creating incentives for districts to provide additional days in the school year and creating a fine arts allotment

• HB 2 prohibits uncertified teachers from being the teacher for a course in the foundation curriculum who does not hold an appropriate certificate or permit

2. Senate Committee on Education K-16 Discusses Ten Commandments and School Prayer Bills

The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard testimony on several bills on Tuesday, March 4, including Senate Bill 10 (SB 10) on the Ten Commandments in public schools and Senate Bill 11 (SB 11) on prayer and reading the Bible in public schools. 

SB 10 by Sen. King, relating to the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, was passed out of Committee. 

Summary: Mandates that all public elementary and secondary school classrooms in Texas display a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous place. The posters must meet specific size and formatting requirements, containing only the text of the Ten Commandments in a legible font. Schools that do not have such a display must accept privately donated posters that meet the bill’s criteria, though they are not required to purchase them with district funds. The law is set to take effect in the 2025-26 school year.

SB 11 by Sen. Middleton, relating to a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts in public schools, was passed out of Committee.

Summary: Requires school boards to vote on a resolution to implement a policy ensuring that every campus provides students and staff the opportunity to pray or read the Bible or another religious text. Additionally, parents must submit a consent form that waives their right to file a legal claim under state or federal law related to the adoption of this policy.

Senate Bill 569 (SB 569) by Sen. Bettencourt, relating to the provision of virtual education in public schools and to certain waivers and modifications by the Commissioner of Education to the method of calculating average daily attendance in an emergency or crisis for purposes of preserving school district funding entitlements under the Foundation School Program during that emergency or crisis; authorizing a fee was passed out of Committee. 

Summary: Requires a comprehensive rewrite of our virtual education rules.  Allows school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to offer instruction through hybrid courses, virtual courses, full-time hybrid programs, and full-time virtual programs. It outlines the rights of students and teachers in virtual programs and permits schools to collaborate with private or third-party providers to offer full-time hybrid or full-time virtual programs. Requires the Commissioner to include students enrolled in a remote or hybrid virtual school to be included in the calculation of a school district’s average daily attendance.

3. House Committee on Ways and Means Hears Legislation on School District Property Tax Rate Reduction

House Bill 8 (HB 8) by Rep. Meyer reduces school district M&O tax rates by 3.31 cents at a cost of $2.8 billion for the biennium. There will be an additional 6.8 cents of automatic tax compression due to the current ongoing tax relief passed in 2019. This could mean total property tax compression or relief of over 10 cents next year with the passage of this legislation.  

The House-proposed state budget, including HB 8, includes an estimated $51.0 billion to maintain all property tax relief granted since 2019. 

This bill was left pending in the House Committee on Ways and Means.

4. New House Public Education Subcommittee on Academic and Career-Oriented Education Hears First Bills

The House Public Education Subcommittee on Academic and Career-Oriented Education, chaired by Rep. Ashby, heard its first two bills of the Session: 

House Bill 20 (HB 20) by Rep. Gates relating to establishing the Applied Sciences Pathway program was left pending in Committee. 

Summary: Provides high school students with opportunities to concurrently earn their diplomas and industry-recognized certificates from institutions of higher education. The program fosters partnerships between school districts or charter schools and colleges to offer courses in high-demand fields such as plumbing, welding, electrical work, and construction management. These courses must be non-duplicative, progressively structured, and lead to successful job placement in high-wage industries.

House Bill 120 (HB 120) by Rep. Bell relating to career and technology education programs in public schools, the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, and a high school advising program, including funding for those programs under the Foundation School Program, and to the new instructional facility allotment and the permissible uses of funding under the Foundation School Program was left pending in Committee. 

Summary: Expands career and technology education (CTE) funding to include Junior ROTC programs. Creates the Military Pathway Grant Program, providing $50,000 grants to school districts to establish Junior ROTC programs, administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, and offer career counseling, with a total funding cap of $2 million annually. Establishes a high school advising program through the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to support college and career counseling, requiring partnerships with public higher education institutions and capping advisors’ caseloads at 200 students. A new High School Advising Allotment would fund advisors at $50,000 per full-time equivalent, gradually reducing after five years unless performance criteria are met. The bill also increases Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) funding from $50 to $150 per student and extends funding eligibility while expanding the New Instructional Facilities Allotment budget from $100 million to $150 million per year.