Education
Local school districts list priorities ahead of legislative session
Increased funding, teacher salaries, school safety and special education are among the top priorities for officials in Alvin, Friendswood and Pearland ISDs going into the state’s 2025 legislative session. The overview Ahead of the legislative session, which begins Jan. 14, officials in AISD, FISD and PISD discussed legisla- tive priorities they want the state to consider. AISD and PISD officials want an increase to the basic student allotment, which is the funding dis- tricts get for each student enrolled. The allotment has remained at $6,160 per student since 2019. Officials in each district also want an increase in salaries for teachers and district staff, according to documents from each respective district. Special education is a focus for officials in each district as well. Those in FISD want more weighted funding while AISD and FISD officials want more resources for training special education teachers, documents show.
A closer look AISD and PISD officials are hoping for revisions to the state’s A-F rating system, which grades districts on student preparedness for college, career and military service; graduation rates; and State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, scores, according to the Texas Education Agency. AISD and PISD officials want a “broader” school review. AISD officials want a more comprehensive system that recognizes gains made by districts serving low-income families, documents show. AISD and FISD officials also touched on insurance expenses for coastal areas that are prone to storms. FISD officials want to see lower property and casu- alty insurance expenses, while AISD wants a special allotment created for coastal districts. Lastly, AISD and PISD officials have discussed equal funding to offset possible revenue losses from school vouchers, as well as ensuring that public education dollars remain within public schools.
Legislative priority topics for AISD, FISD and PISD Raising school safety funding
Revising state code to remove barriers for correcting disruptive students and encourage policies that support parent involvement Increasing salaries for teachers and district staff
Raising special education funding
2,400+ bills filed within state ahead of session
89th Texas Legislature meets Jan. 14 through June 2
$20B in surplus revenue from state
140 days for regular session
SOURCE: LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY OF TEXAS, TEXAS LEGISLATURE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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