HB 2 invests a new $7.7 billion into public education—the largest increase in Texas history

AUSTIN, Texas — Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows today praised the Texas House for passing House Bill 2, the chamber’s landmark school finance legislation that infuses a record $7.7 billion of new funding into public education. Passed with overwhelming support, HB 2—authored by Public Education Committee Chairman Brad Buckley and Vice Chair Diego Bernal—is the heart of the House’s $9 billion package of public education proposals that will increase teacher pay, reduce achievement gaps, support the students with the greatest learning needs and make a meaningful difference in Texas classrooms.

“Texas public schools are the backbone of our communities, and today the House delivered a historic investment to bolster public education for the next generation,” said Speaker Burrows. “House Bill 2 lays the foundation for a modernized, responsive school finance system that will grow with the needs of Texas students while targeting taxpayer dollars where they’ll make the greatest impact for students and teachers. I thank Chairman Buckley, Vice Chair Bernal, the committee, and all House members for their tireless work in making this landmark legislation a reality for our classrooms. The Texas House looks forward to collaborating with the Senate to provide historic funding for Texas schools.”

Prior to the House’s consideration of HB 2, Speaker Burrows was joined at a press conference by Chairman Buckley, Vice Chair Bernal, and nearly a dozen superintendents from districts across the state who traveled to Austin to show their support of the bill, including Matias Segura from Austin Independent School District (ISD), Roland Toscano from East Central ISD, Rick Kirkpatrick from Florence ISD, Justin Terry from Forney ISD, Michelle Cavazos from Gregory Portland ISD, Jo Ann Fey from Killeen ISD, Sharon Shields from La Vega ISD, Joe Kucera from Lorena ISD, John Craft from Northside ISD, and Bobby Ott from Temple ISD.

Key Highlights of House Bill 2, the Omnibus School Finance Bill:

• A $7.7 billion increase in public education funding—the largest component of the Texas House’s $9 billion package of priority education proposals
  • Over $3 billion to increase per-student, over $1 billion of which will go toward increasing teacher and staff pay
  • Nearly $1 billion in increased funding for rural and mid-sized schools
  • $1.5 billion in new special education funding
  • $1.5 billion in additional targeted funding for Pre-K, bilingual education, and reducing achievement gaps, and more
  • $750 million in extra incentive pay for high-performing teachers

• Increases the Basic Allotment (BA), the state’s share of per-student funding, to $6,555—a $395 dollar increase for each student
  • Requires 40% of the BA to go toward teacher and staff pay raises, prioritizing increases first for teachers with 10+ years’, then 5+ years’ experience
  • Ties the BA to the growth of property values, yielding automatic increases in public education funding and teacher pay in the state budget, reducing recapture and pressure to raise local taxes

• Contains financial safety nets guaranteeing schools receive 95% of their funding from the prior year if they experience a decline in enrollment
  • Every district receives a minimum $400 BA increase, so no district loses under HB 2’s proposed finance formulas

• Provides additional, targeted funding for special education, including transportation, learning, resources, special education support staff, and Individualized Education Program evaluations
• Increases financial support for Pre-K education, encouraging more providers to offer programs
• Provides a 50% funding increase for schools that extend instruction through the Additional Days School Year program
• Includes funding to expand teacher certifications, ensuring better-prepared teachers in the classroom and reducing administrative burdens associated with the oversight of uncertified teachers