The Texas Senate on Friday advanced a $8.5 billion public school funding bill, moving it one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.
House Bill 2, which underwent significant revisions since its initial passage in the Texas House in April, marks one of the largest education investments in state history.
The final version of HB 2 includes $4.2 billion for teacher and staff pay raises, with experienced educators in smaller districts eligible for increases of up to $8,000. Nearly $2 billion is directed toward overhauling special education and funding full-day pre-K, early learning interventions and career and technical education. An additional $430 million is set aside for school safety measures.
While the Texas House initially proposed a $395 increase to the base amount of spending allocated per student, known as the basic allotment, the final version trimmed that boost to just $55. Although modest compared to the initial proposal, this marks the first increase to the state’s basic allotment since 2019.
The bill’s passage came after weeks of legislative negotiations, which dramatically reshaped how funding would be allocated. On Thursday, the House and Senate came to a final agreement on HB 2.
“This legislation provides the largest teacher pay raise in history, targeted funding for our special education students, investments in early childhood learning, and additional funding for our schools to address the rising fixed costs of operation,” said Republican Rep. Brad Buckley of Salado, chair of the House Public Education Committee and author of the bill.
The bill now returns to the House to resolve any amendments added by the Senate. If both chambers agree on the final version, it will move on to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.
