Across the Lawn – March 21, 2025

One Thing to Do: Sign Up for Text Alerts

Are you signed up for Raise Your Hand Texas text alerts? Right now, we are tracking a number of important bills focused on public education, and as they move through the House and Senate for votes, the time will come for you to reach out to your legislator and let your voice be heard. 

Your one thing to do this week is to sign up for our text alerts and be ready to advocate at the right moment and time.

Five Things to Know:  

1. House Committee on Public Education Hears Bill on Math and Literacy Academies, HB 123 by Rep. Dutton

HB 123 by Rep. Dutton relating to measures to support kindergarten readiness and early literacy and numeracy skills for public school students, is a $500 million package to support early education and math and literacy academies. Rep. Dutton said a committee substitute is being discussed.  The bill, as filed, includes the following provisions: 

• Increases Early Education Allotment: Raises the Early Education Allotment (EEA) multiplier from 0.1 to 0.11, providing more funding for early literacy and math programs in K-3
• Mandatory Teacher Training and Stipends: Requires K-8 teachers and administrators to attend literacy and math intervention academies by 2030-31. K-3 teachers must receive stipends for completing reading academies, funded through the EEA or other appropriations
• Early Literacy and Math Assessments: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) must adopt a standardized kindergarten reading assessment and create a list of approved K-3 literacy and numeracy diagnostic instruments, which districts must use to evaluate students’ foundational skills. 
• Reading Interventions: K-3 students who consistently fail literacy assessments must receive targeted reading interventions for up to 12 months, with specific instruction requirements to improve foundational reading skills. TEA will establish a tutoring program for 3rd-grade students needing accelerated instruction. Parents can access grants to purchase tutoring services from TEA-approved providers.
• Additional Instructional Days and Funding Incentives: Expands the Incentive for Additional Instructional Days to include districts offering 30 days of half-day instruction for students in pre-K through 8th grade, reduces the required minimum instructional days from 180 to 175, and provides a 50% increase in the incentive amount for districts offering at least 200 full instructional days
• Adaptive Vocabulary Assessment for K-3: TEA must develop an adaptive vocabulary assessment for students in K-3, ensuring at least one approved test is available at no cost to districts.
• Pre-K Teacher Requirements: Pre-K teachers in district-contracted entities must be certified or supervised by a certified educator, with special requirements for teachers of emergent bilingual students.

2. House Committee on Public Education Hears Student Discipline Bill, HB 6

Rep. Leach presented HB 6 during the House Committee on Public Education hearing on Tuesday, March 18. Testimony on this bill lasted over seven hours. He stated there will be a committee substitute within the next few weeks.  Rep. Leach stated the bill provides much-needed structure by expanding disciplinary options and ensuring safer learning environments for both students and teachers. The bill, as filed, does the following: 

• Changes to School Suspension Rules: Limits out-of-school suspensions to a maximum of three days. In-school suspensions are not subject to time limits. Students below third grade could only be suspended for violent offenses. The bill expands this to include students who repeatedly or significantly disrupt the classroom.
• Creates Virtual Alternative Education Option: A new provision allows school districts to establish virtual disciplinary alternative education programs. These students can receive remote instruction and still count toward the district’s average daily attendance for state funding purposes.
• Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP): The bill strengthens protections for school staff by allowing students to be placed in a DAEP or expelled if they commit offenses such as assault or harassment against school employees or volunteers, whether the incident occurs on or off of school property

3. Senate Committee on Education K-16 Hears Bills on Student Health Issues

The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard nine bills focused on student health and safety in schools, including measures for excused absences for mental health care, access to epinephrine auto-injectors, and the administration of medications for respiratory distress and other conditions. Other bills heard Tuesday, March 18, addressed curriculum restrictions on national sexuality education standards, instruction on adoption in the parenting and paternity awareness program, and the availability of automated external defibrillators in schools. 

4. Senate Committee on Finance Adopts State Budget, SB 1

The Senate Committee on Finance adopted its version of the state budget, SB 1,  on Wednesday, March 19, with the following major school funding provisions: 

• $4.35 billion increase to the Foundation School Program for teacher pay increase contingent on SB 26 passing
• $500 million increase for school safety contingent on SB 260 passing
• $515 million increase for teacher preparation programs and literacy and numeracy programs contingent on legislation passing. 
• $1 billion in 2027 for an Education Savings Account program contingent upon SB 2 passing
• $3 billion for additional an increase to the homestead exemption ($100,000 to $140,000), $500 million for business property tax relief 

Several funding items for public education were placed in Article XI (the wish list), including $700 million for special education (SB 568 contingency), $25 million for cell phone-related initiatives, $120 million for charter school facilities, and $160 million for the CTE Rural Pathways program.

5. Senate Passes School Prayer Bill, SB 11

SB 11 by Sen. Middleton allows school districts to implement a daily period for prayer and reading of religious texts. The bill includes: 

• Local Decision-Making: School boards and charter school governing bodies must vote on whether to implement this policy within six months of the bill’s enactment.
• Consent Requirement: Participation is strictly voluntary, requiring a signed consent form from students’ parents or guardians, and employees, including a waiver against legal claims.
• Restrictions on Implementation: Religious activities cannot be broadcast over public address systems, must not replace instructional time, and should not be conducted in the presence of non-consenting individuals.
• Legal Protections: The Texas Attorney General is tasked with providing legal guidance and defense for schools adopting the policy, with state liability for legal expenses in such cases.
• Preservation of Individual Rights: The bill reiterates that students and employees retain their existing rights to pray or read religious texts privately at any time that does not interfere with school activities.

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