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Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
$8.5 billion school finance bill heads to Governor's desk for signature
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas House lawmakers gave the thumbs-up to a $8.5 billion school finance bill, which some in leadership called the largest investment in public schools in the state's history. But some school district leaders said they worry about the lack of local control. House Bill 2 is now heading to the Governor's desk for his signature. PREVIOUS: Texas Senate advances $8.5 billion increase to public school funding The additional dollars have an emphasis on raising the salaries of teachers with at least three years experience, while creating new guidelines for how the dollars can be spent by school districts. 'Texas is a big state,' said State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, on the House floor prior to passage. 'Every district in our region, from El Paso to Orange and from Texoma to Brownsville, has varying needs and requests for specific support from this legislature. Satisfying all of those needs is an incredible, incredible undertaking, and I believe that this version of House Bill Two before you now meets that moment as passed by Senate.' Of the $8.5 billion in the bill, almost half — $4.2 billion — is dedicated strictly for teacher and staff pay raises. Teachers in smaller school districts will earn a $4,000 pay raise in their third year of teaching which will then double when they reach their fifth year of experience. Teachers in larger school districts with more than 5,000 students will receive $2,500 after three years and $5,000 after being on the job for five years. There is an additional $500 million in flexible funding for non-administrative staff pay raises for entry level teachers, counselors, librarians, nurses, custodians and bus drivers along with other support staff. Related: A look inside the school finance and education savings account bills Mary Lynn Pruneda, director of education and workforce policy at Texas 2036, a nonpartisan policy research organization, said in total it is around an additional $1,600 per student in Texas. 'This is an investment in particularly paying teachers more. Paying our staff members in our districts more, but then also these certain programs that we know have a really high return on investment for students,' Pruneda said. Those programs include $677 million for early learning, $850 million for special education, and $153 million for career technical education. The bill sponsors also say it funds full-day pre-K. At least half of the state's public school districts are projected to receive at least $1,000 in additional per student funding with more than 350 of those districts receiving an additional $1,500 per student. There are more than 1,200 public school districts in Texas, all with their own unique challenges and needs depending on their size and location. Nexstar spoke to a few school leaders in districts with varying student population size. All the school leaders said they experienced some type of financial struggle over the past couple of years as the costs of day-to-day operations increased with a lack of additional funding from the state. School leaders in Thrall ISD, Mercedes ISD and Brownsville ISD all agreed they are grateful for any additional dollars from the state to go into their budget. Tommy Hooker, Thrall ISD superintendent, said the increase in teacher pay is monumental. His rural district with fewer than 900 students has grown in the past seven years, increasing by about 3% to 5% each year. Because of that, he's had to hire more staff without any additional financial assistance from the state and his teachers went without pay raises. Under the new bill, a majority of his teachers will see an $8,000 increase to their salary. 'We've not been able to do an increase like that ever locally,' Hooker said. He added that he believes the funding is 'adequate,' but expressed hesitations about the structure of the bill. Instead of pumping new dollars to raise the basic allotment, which is the base amount of money for per student funding, lawmakers decided to create separate allotments that have guidelines in how the dollars can be spent. They even created a new allotment called the allotment for basic costs. That allotment as $1.3 billion for costs like insurance premiums that are skyrocketing, costs associated with the Teacher Retirement System, utilities and transportation. Buckley said that allotment is to make sure the basic allotment dollars are being spent inside the classroom. But school leaders have expressed they are concerned this limits control at the local level. The basic allotment does provide more flexibility for school districts to use the money how they see fit, but the structure of this bill puts the new dollars into different sections that have a dedicated use. Dr. Jesus Chavez, Brownsville ISD superintendent, said the lack of state funding in recent years led to his school district and others dipping into their savings to cover rising costs. For his district, Chavez said he needs money to focus on renovations to older schools. 'They're giving us dollars but they're telling us where to spend them. Can I move five million or can I move eight million over to roofs and air condition systems? The answer is no,' Chavez said. Dr. Alicia Noyola, interim superintendent of schools for Mercedes ISD, said the district will close a couple of schools because of rising costs and limited funding. She too does not like the lack of flexibility with the new dollars. 'It doesn't provide us funds to address day-to-day operations,' Noyola explained. All of the superintendents said that they were happy with funds coming in, but that they hope to see additional dollars from the state in future sessions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Hemp Industry Urges Governor Abbott to Veto SB 3 in Emergency Press Conference
Farmers, Veterans, Small Business Owners and Hemp Advocates to Speak Out Against Bill's Threat to Jobs, Economic Growth and Freedom of Choice Over 100,000 Petition Signatures and Thousands of Handwritten Letters Expected to be Delivered to Governor's Office AUSTIN, Texas, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHAT: A coalition of concerned Texans will host a press conference to address Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), legislation that dismantles the legal hemp industry and ignores the voices of small businesses, farmers, veterans and consumers across the state who rely on hemp-derived products for their livelihoods and general well-being. WHO: Industry leaders, farmers, small business owners, veterans and consumer advocates will come together to voice their concerns about the bill's impact on jobs, agriculture and access to legal hemp-derived products. WHEN: Monday, June 2 at 11 a.m. CST WHERE: Texas Capitol House Press Conference Room 2W.61100 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701 WHY: The Texas hemp industry is responding to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's ongoing false and inflammatory rhetoric, including his recent claim that hemp businesses 'want to kill your kids.' This kind of fearmongering vilifies law-abiding Texas farmers, veterans and small business owners and distracts from the real public health risks at hand. SB 3, passed by the Texas House, bans hemp-derived products without establishing a regulatory alternative. If signed into law, the bill will not only dismantle a $4.3 billion industry supporting over 53,000 jobs, but will also open the floodgates to unregulated, unsafe products in Texas. The Texas Hemp Business Council and its supporters are calling on Governor Abbott to veto SB 3 and stand with the hundreds of thousands of Texans, including small business owners, workers, consumers and veterans, who depend on this industry for jobs, economic opportunity and the freedom to choose hemp-derived products. VISUALS: Coalition of farmers, veterans, business owners and industry leaders. Boxes of handwritten letters to be delivered to the governor's office. Petition signage. Veterans sharing personal stories. About the Texas Hemp Business Council The Texas Hemp Business Council is an industry organization dedicated to promoting the hemp-based cannabinoid industry in Texas, while advocating for consumer safety, education and stakeholder engagement. More information is available at Media Contacts: Natalie Mu/George Medici PondelWilkinson 310.279.5980 nmu@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Hemp Industry Urges Governor Abbott to Veto SB 3 in Emergency Press Conference
Farmers, Veterans, Small Business Owners and Hemp Advocates to Speak Out Against Bill's Threat to Jobs, Economic Growth and Freedom of Choice Over 100,000 Petition Signatures and Thousands of Handwritten Letters Expected to be Delivered to Governor's Office AUSTIN, Texas, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHAT: A coalition of concerned Texans will host a press conference to address Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), legislation that dismantles the legal hemp industry and ignores the voices of small businesses, farmers, veterans and consumers across the state who rely on hemp-derived products for their livelihoods and general well-being. WHO: Industry leaders, farmers, small business owners, veterans and consumer advocates will come together to voice their concerns about the bill's impact on jobs, agriculture and access to legal hemp-derived products. WHEN: Monday, June 2 at 11 a.m. CST WHERE: Texas Capitol House Press Conference Room 2W.61100 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701 WHY: The Texas hemp industry is responding to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's ongoing false and inflammatory rhetoric, including his recent claim that hemp businesses 'want to kill your kids.' This kind of fearmongering vilifies law-abiding Texas farmers, veterans and small business owners and distracts from the real public health risks at hand. SB 3, passed by the Texas House, bans hemp-derived products without establishing a regulatory alternative. If signed into law, the bill will not only dismantle a $4.3 billion industry supporting over 53,000 jobs, but will also open the floodgates to unregulated, unsafe products in Texas. The Texas Hemp Business Council and its supporters are calling on Governor Abbott to veto SB 3 and stand with the hundreds of thousands of Texans, including small business owners, workers, consumers and veterans, who depend on this industry for jobs, economic opportunity and the freedom to choose hemp-derived products. VISUALS: Coalition of farmers, veterans, business owners and industry leaders. Boxes of handwritten letters to be delivered to the governor's office. Petition signage. Veterans sharing personal stories. About the Texas Hemp Business Council The Texas Hemp Business Council is an industry organization dedicated to promoting the hemp-based cannabinoid industry in Texas, while advocating for consumer safety, education and stakeholder engagement. More information is available at Media Contacts: Natalie Mu/George Medici PondelWilkinson 310.279.5980 nmu@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
Texas Legislature passes public school funding
Texas public schools are about to get a long-awaited funding boost, with an $8.5 billion school finance bill awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature. Why it matters: Public school funding has been a priority during the legislative session that ends Monday. The legislation increases teacher pay and per-student funding, but some public school advocates say it isn't enough to get districts out of multimillion-dollar deficits and rough waters ahead. Context: The last time Texas increased the basic allotment, or base funding per student, was 2019. Advocates have said the state would have needed to grow it by more than $1,300 per student since then to keep pace with inflation. The big picture: In the meantime, Texas districts have closed campuses to make ends meet. Districts have also faced teacher shortages and falling school performance ratings. The future of federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education is uncertain under the Trump administration. Flashback: In 2023, Abbott said he wouldn't touch a school funding bill until lawmakers created a private school voucher program. They didn't and school funding remained stagnant. This month, Abbott signed a $1 billion voucher program into law — participating families would get roughly $10,000 per child in taxpayer money for private school tuition — so he is expected to sign the school funding bill. Catch up quick: The final version of House Bill 2 is a compromise between the Texas House and Senate. The House, led in part by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), initially passed a bill to increase per-student funding by $395. The compromise bill raises per-student funding by $55 instead. How it works: District officials say the basic allotment is what gives them the most flexibility to address their particular needs. The final version of the bill focuses on educator pay, which accounts for more than $4 billion of the spending in it. What they're saying:"This is not going to come anywhere close to curbing the three-quarters, 75%-plus, of the districts that are operating a deficit budget," John Craft, superintendent of Northside ISD, San Antonio's largest district, told school board members Tuesday. "You don't see me doing back flips right now. This is not to say that the increase in the much-needed teacher compensation piece is not appreciated." Northside ISD adopted a budget with a deficit of $93.7 million this year. The other side: The Texas American Federation of Teachers union supported the compromise bill, "which makes significant investments in educators and support staff while hopefully also keeping the lights on for another two years in our public school classrooms," Zeph Capo, Texas AFT president, said in a statement. "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," House Public Education Committee chair Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado) said in a statement.
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Texas Lawmaker Mocks Politicians' Morals in Vote on Ten Commandments in Classrooms: 'Maybe Try Following Before Mandating'
A Texas lawmaker mocked the morals of his fellow legislators during a vote on displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms across the state. State Rep. James Talarico pressed his Republican colleagues on their bill requiring public school classrooms to have the holy text hung on their walls on Saturday, chiding how several of the rules were seemingly being broken or have been broken by lawmakers. The Democrat noted that they were holding their deliberations on Saturday and their vote on Sunday violated the Ten Commandments, as the Fourth Commandment calls on Christians to keep the Sabbath "holy" by not working. Saturday is the Sabbath for Jewish individuals, and Christians honor it on Sunday. @jamestalarico Republicans passed the bill on the Sabbath… breaking the 4th Commandment. Maybe they should try following the Ten Commandments before mandating them. SB 10 will force every public school teacher in the state of Texas to put up a poster of the Ten Commandments in their classroom. ♬ original sound - James Talarico "It's ironic isn't it?" state Rep. Candy Noble, a Republican sponsor of the bill, laughed. "You're saying that you'd rather tell people to follow the Ten Commandments than follow it yourself?" Talarico replied. Although Noble defended the displaying of the Ten Commandments as a way to honor "our historical, educational and judicial heritage," Talarico pressed further into other holy rules enshrined in the scripture. "The Ninth Commandment is 'Thou shalt not bear false witness.' Are you aware of any legislators who have lied about anything?" Talarico asked, prompting laughter from the gallery. "The Seventh Commandment is 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Do you think that members of the legislature should focus more on trying to follow the Ten Commandments rather than telling others to follow them?" he continued. Talarico shared a clip of the exchange to TikTok , where it has since garnered more than 9.6 million views. In the caption, he wrote, "Maybe [Republicans] should try following the Ten Commandments before mandating them." The bill was ultimately passed by a 82-46 vote in the Texas House Sunday with an amendment that the state will bear the costs of any future legal challenges to the law, KXAN reported. The bill now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. He previously expressed support for the bill in posts to social media. Originally published on Latin Times
