As we celebrate the Easter Holiday, we reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who endured unimaginable agony and suffered death on the cross so that we might be saved. As we remember that darkest of days, we also find hope and celebrate in knowing His sacrifice would be the beginning of an ever-lasting light that would shine upon the Earth as a pathway to eternal salvation. He has Risen!
“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.’” – Matthew 28:5-6
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol…
Capitol Update
This past week, the House passed House Bill 2, which provides the largest investment of new funding in our state’s history into our public schools. With no new investments in public education formula funding since 2019, and with the impact of inflation and rising costs on our over 1,100 school districts across the state, this measure was desperately needed to support our students and teachers.
Among the money appropriated for public education, HB 2 dedicates over $3 billion to increase per-student funding and teacher pay, nearly $1 billion to increase funding for rural and mid-sized schools, $1.5 billion in new funding for special education services, $1.5 billion in additional funding for pre-K and reducing achievement gaps, and $750 million in incentive pay for high-performing teachers.
Additionally, HB 2 ties per-student funding directly to the growth of local property values, which will yield automatic increases in state public education funding and, importantly, reduce the pressure on local school boards to raise property taxes.
The bill also contains a financial safety net for school districts, which ensures they receive 95% of their funding from the prior school year should they experience a decline in enrollment. Due to the complexity of our school finance system and the inability to predict with 100% certainty the bill’s impact on every school district, a floor has been established so that no district unintentionally loses funding under HB 2’s proposed finance reforms.
HB 2 also requires a minimum of 40% of a district’s per-student funding increase to go towards teacher pay raises, and provides scheduled increases for teachers who have been in the classroom for five years or more.
Finally, HB 2 provides long sought after funding for full day Pre-K programs, invests dollars in schools that extend instruction through after school or summer learning programs, and includes monies to assist our growing number of uncertified teachers with administrative expenses to become certified classroom teachers.
I am immensely grateful to my fellow colleagues on the House Public Education Committee for their tireless work on this measure. With a 144-4 vote by the House, HB 2 now heads to the Texas Senate for their consideration in the coming weeks.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762. Additionally, I welcome you to follow along on my Official Facebook Page, where I will post regular updates on what’s happening in your State Capitol and share information that could be useful to you and your family: https://www.facebook.com/RepTrentAshby/.
