“Texas bill increasing public school funding and teacher pay gets initial House approval” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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​The Texas House on Wednesday gave initial approval to its priority school funding legislation. In a 144-4 vote, the lower chamber preliminarily approved a bill that would increase school districts’ base money per student, raise teacher salaries and limit the use of educators without formal classroom training. House Bill 2 would also improve special education by allocating funding based on the individual needs of children with disabilities.

[Voucher vote updates: Bid to send voucher plan for statewide vote is defeated]

Republicans, during hours of debate, celebrated the bill as a worthwhile $8 billion investment in public education. Democrats also voiced support for the legislation but argued that it barely scratches the surface of what districts need. Many school districts are currently grappling with challenges ranging from budget deficits and teacher shortages to campus closures.

The bill would notably increase schools’ base funding by $395 — from $6,160 to $6,555. That amount, known as the basic allotment, would automatically go up every two years by tying it to property value growth. Forty-percent of the allotment would go to salaries for school staff. Higher salary increases would go to teachers with more than a decade of classroom experience.

Lawmakers sparred over other aspects of the legislation — from whether the Legislature should continue to invest heavily in compensatory education, which offers support to underserved students at risk of dropping out of school, to how the state should hold charter schools accountable for mismanagement.

Upon final passage, HB 2 will go to the Senate for further consideration. That chamber has already passed a number of similar school funding proposals — though top lawmakers there have expressed opposition to increasing schools’ base funding this session.

The basic allotment offers districts flexibility to address the unique needs of their campuses, which includes staff salaries, utilities and maintenance. The Senate has instead advocated for more targeted funding in areas like teacher pay, school security and special education.

[Texas officials’ claim that school funding is at an all-time high ignores inflation and temporary federal money]

The House voted on the bill shortly before taking up legislation that would create school vouchers in Texas, a top priority for Gov. Greg Abbott. Two years ago, public schools missed out on nearly $8 billion, which Abbott held hostage when vouchers failed to gain the support needed to pass then.​

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/16/texas-school-vouchers-funding-house-bill-2-house/.

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