Education
Schools to see $8.4B funding boost
Zooming in
Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who spon- sored HB 2 in the Senate, told Community Impact July 21 that lawmakers changed “the budget architecture for how public schools are funded going forward.” HB 2 provides permanent raises for teachers with at least three years of classroom experience, with larger raises for teachers in small districts. In districts with 5,000 students or less, teach- ers with three to four years of experience will receive a $4,000 raise, while those with at least five years of experience will receive an $8,000 boost. In districts with over 5,000 students, educators with three to four years of experience will get a $2,500 raise, and more experienced teachers will earn a $5,000 raise. “For the first time in Texas history, that pay raise will continue beyond this biennium,” Creighton said in May, noting that lawmakers previously gave educators one-time “bonuses.”
Over the next two years, Texas’ nearly 9,000 public schools will receive about $8.4 billion in new funding after Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2 in June. Nearly half of that funding will be spent on raises for educators and support staff, such as bus drivers, janitors and librarians. State lawmakers estimated in May that schools will receive “north of $17,700” per student under the school funding package—up from about $15,502 in the 2022-23 school year, according to Texas Education Agency data. The funding increase comes as some school Texas districts across Community Impact ’s coverage areas grapple with growing budget shortfalls, leading some districts to consider closing campuses, cutting staff and slashing elective courses. Over a dozen school associations and
Texas’ school funding system
Federal funding: $2,688
State funding: $5,021 Local property tax revenue: $7,793
The average school district received about $15,502 in the 2022-23 school year.
SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
advocacy groups praised lawmakers’ work on HB 2 after it was sent to the governor in late May, noting that the legislation would provide a “lifeline” to cash-strapped schools.
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