State
BY HANNAH NORTON
Texas lawmakers launch competing plans to raise educator salaries
Put in perspective
The base amount of per-student funding Texas public schools receive, known as the basic allot- ment, was last raised to $6,160 in 2019. HB 2 would raise the basic allotment to $6,380, while the Senate proposal would not increase the allotment.
would raise base per-student school funding by $220, overhaul special education funding, create a state-funded teacher residency program and more. Buckley said March 4 that the funding boost and other provisions of the bill would result in “a signi cant pay increase” for educators, though some advocacy groups disagreed. “We’ll end up negotiating [the] di erences, but we want to make sure in the Senate that we’re listening to our districts, that we’re listening to our teachers, and that we are providing direct funding, incentives and compensation,” Creighton told reporters Feb. 26. HB 2 was left pending in the House Public Education Committee on March 6.
Two separate plans to raise salaries for public school teachers are moving through Texas’ legislative process. State senators unanimously passed a $4.7 billion teacher pay bill Feb. 26. About a week later, a Texas House committee heard over 12 hours of testimony on a far-reaching school nance bill. Senate Bill 26, by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would raise salaries for teachers in their third and fth years in the classroom, with larger pay bumps for educators in small school districts. The bill also proposes expanding a program designed to help certain teachers earn six gure salaries. House Bill 2, by Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado,
School funding
Current basic allotment
Basic allotment adjusted for in ation
$7,500+
$8K
$6K
$6,160
$6,160
$4K 0
2019
2024
SOURCES: RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS AND TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE COMMUNITY IMPACT
Varied approaches Senate Bill 26 focuses on pay raises for teachers with at least three years of experience, while House Bill 2 would adjust several areas of school funding.
Also of note
Senate Bill 26
House Bill 2
Raising teacher salaries is one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priorities this year. “When this session ends, teacher pay is going to be at an all-time high, and… that will hopefully attract and retain more teachers,” Abbott told Community Impact in a Feb. 7 interview. The average Texas teacher was paid $62,474 during the 2023-24 school year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. Nationwide, the average teacher salary was $71,699 during the same period, the National Education Association estimated.
Would raise base per-student school funding from $6,160 to $6,380 Proposes allocating special education funding based on students’ individual needs , rather than where they receive services Would prohibit schools from hiring uncerti ed educators to teach core subjects Would give prospective teachers who complete classroom residencies a $3,000+ stipend
In districts with over 5,000 students: Proposes $2,500 raises for teachers with 3-4 years in the classroom Proposes $5,500 raises for teachers with 5+ years of experience
In school districts with 5,000 students or less: Proposes $5,000 raises for teachers with 3-4 years of experience
Proposes $10,000 raises for teachers with 5+ years in the classroom
Both bills would expand the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program designed to put teachers on the path to a six- gure salary, to apply to more teachers.
SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE COMMUNITY IMPACT
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