Texas Senate Delays Action on Public Education Funding Bill
AUSTIN – School leaders and advocates worry that the Texas Senate is dragging its feet to deliver on promises to provide the largest infusion of state dollars into public education.
It wasn’t until late Tuesday that a public hearing in the Senate was announced. The education committee is expected to discuss the latest version of the bill Thursday.
Neighborhood campuses have shuttered, popular programs cut and academic help to struggling students dialed back in recent years as districts face inflation and other budget challenges.
But it’s been nearly a month since the House passed a $7.7 billion proposal that would help them by increasing the state’s per-student basic funding allotment for the first time since 2019.
Background and Context
That’s created some hand-wringing among House Democrats over fears that the finance bill won’t make it over the finish line.
The funding measure was approved in the House alongside a deeply partisan school voucherlike bill that allows public dollars to flow to private education for the first time.
Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the signing of the education savings accounts bill earlier this month with a carnival-like celebration at the Governor’s Mansion on a sunny Saturday afternoon. But money for public schools has barely moved since it reached the Senate.
“We ought to be pushing back on that,” Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas, said Tuesday during a meeting of the House Public Education Committee. “A lot of work was done here on the assurances that we would pass that bill into law or some form of it, and they’re not making any progress at all.”
Bill Details and Progress
Little had been heard publicly about what is going on with the bill until late Tuesday.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton, the Conroe Republican who is helming the bill’s journey through the upper chamber, wrote on social media that the bill would have across-the-board pay raises for teachers when they reach their third and fifth years.
“This is not a one-time bonus or stipend, this is a new commitment in our budget culture,” Creighton wrote on X.
The bill also includes $1.3 billion for special education and $500 million for school safety, he wrote. It had not been made publicly available late Tuesday
Challenges and Concerns
Hours before announcing the hearing, Creighton told The Dallas Morning News that the reason it is taking so long is because the bill is among the most complex he has ever dealt with.
“If this bill was in Washington, D.C., it would take a year,” Creighton said.
Creighton said GOP leadership — including Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock — have spent hours working on the proposal.
How to bolster educator quality and provide teacher pay raises are among the key differences between the Senate and House versions of funding schools.
Impact on Schools and Students
In the meantime, public school leaders are building operating budgets for next year without knowing how much money they’ll be getting from the state.
“The uncertainty of not knowing if we are going to receive any additional funding, that looms pretty heavy,” Richardson ISD Superintendent Tabitha Branum said.
Branum plans to ask the RISD school board to approve a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall — for the sixth year in a row.
“We’re being very conservative in any expansion of programming or investment of new programming because we don’t know if we would have the funds to sustain it,” she said.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Many Texas school leaders are prepping for a worst-case scenario: No increase to base public school funding.
Many, including Richardson, already have closed campuses to save money. More dramatic moves could be looming, school leaders warn.
“I’m a hopeful person. I have hope that our legislators will continue to invest in public education. However, I also have to be a realist,” Branum said. “I have to be a good steward of our taxpayer dollars.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Texas Senate’s delay in acting on the public education funding bill:
Q: What is the current status of the public education funding bill in the Texas Senate?
A: The bill is currently in the Senate education committee and is expected to be discussed in a public hearing on Thursday.
Q: Why is the bill taking so long to pass?
A: According to State Sen. Brandon Creighton, the bill is among the most complex he has ever dealt with, and GOP leadership has spent hours working on the proposal.
Q: What are the key differences between the Senate and House versions of the funding bill?
A: The key differences include how to bolster educator quality and provide teacher pay raises, with the Senate favoring a more targeted approach and the House favoring a broader approach.
Q: What is the potential impact on schools and students if the bill does not pass?
A: If the bill does not pass, schools may face budget shortfalls, leading to cuts in programming and staff, and potentially even campus closures.
