(Austin, TX) – State Representative James White is thankful for Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s leadership and applauds his proposal on teacher compensation reform. As legislators prepare to tackle the long list of items on Governor Greg Abbott’s special session agenda, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick laid out a plan to address Gov. Abbott’s call for a $1,000 pay-raise to Texas teachers.
The plan aims to pay for both teacher bonuses and an increase in retirement benefits through the Texas lottery. The plan provides $600 to $1,000 in bonuses to long-term and retired teachers.
Additionally, the proposed reform would add $200 million into the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). Patrick’s proposal provides $150 million to struggling small, rural districts, like many of the districts in Southeast Texas and provides $60 million for new facilities for fast-growth school districts and charter schools.
“Our Texas public schools are struggling and many of our retired teachers have seen a drastic change in their TRS-Care benefits. The Legislature must prioritize its focus on making sure our schools are properly financed and our teachers are properly taken care of. The lack of action on these reforms has drastically taken a toll not only on our public school system, that should be focused on providing a 21st century education, but our local residents who have seen their property taxes skyrocket, sometimes doubling or tripling. Texans cannot afford this. I applaud Lt. Governor Dan Patrick for taking the necessary steps in proposing a plan legislators can work with and address this crisis,” said Rep. White.
Please do not hesitate to contact either Saul Mendoza, Chief of Staff, or Shawn Dunn, District
Director, with questions regarding these projects at 512-463-0490 or 409-283-3700.
