In a significant legislative win for Texas public schools, the state’s House of Representatives on Thursday gave final approval to House Bill 2, a landmark measure allocating approximately $8.5 billion in new education funding. The bill now heads to Governor Greg Abbott, who has already signaled he will sign it into law.

After months of negotiation between the Texas House and Senate, HB 2 emerged as a compromise that attempts to address many of the long-standing challenges faced by school districts across the state. These include chronic underfunding, stagnant teacher pay, rising operational costs, and staffing shortages. The bill’s final passage — by a vote of 122-13 — reflects bipartisan recognition of the need to reinvest in the state's public education system.

For years, educators and advocates have warned that Texas schools were running on fumes. The last major increase to base school funding came in 2019, and despite a historic $32.7 billion budget surplus last year, lawmakers failed to approve new funding during that session. That stalemate was largely due to contentious debates over school vouchers — a program that allows public funds to be used for private school tuition. Governor Abbott and Republican legislators had made it clear they wanted vouchers and public school funding passed together. Now that the voucher program has been approved, the long-delayed funding for public schools is finally becoming a reality.

Teacher and Staff Pay: Who Gets What?

A large chunk of the bill — more than $4 billion — is dedicated to raising salaries for teachers and staff:

• Teachers in smaller school districts (under 5,000 students) with 3-4 years of experience will receive $4,000 raises, while those with five or more years will get $8,000.
  
  
• In larger districts, those with 3-4 years will receive $2,500, and more experienced educators will get $5,000.

In addition to base salary raises, the bill also expands the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a performance-based bonus program rewarding educators whose students show strong academic growth. Currently, only about 6% of Texas teachers benefit from this program, but HB 2 will broaden its reach.

Support Staff and Operational Relief

While the base funding increase — known as the basic allotment — is modest at $55 per student, HB 2 introduces several targeted supports:

• $45 per student earmarked specifically for raises for school counselors, librarians, nurses, and other essential support staff.
  
  
• $106 per student to help cover rising operational costs like transportation, insurance, utilities, and incentives for rehiring retired educators — a growing trend as schools work to fill vacant positions.

Early Childhood, Special Ed, and Safety Get a Lift

The bill also tackles areas that have been historically underfunded:

• It revamps special education funding, introducing a model that accounts for individual student needs — a crucial move toward equitable learning environments.
  
  
• Early childhood education gets a boost with more funding for pre-K programs and early learning assessments, especially for identifying learning difficulties in young students.
  
  
• Safety isn't left behind either — HB 2 allocates funding to help schools implement much-needed safety upgrades in response to recent concerns around school security.
  
  

Cautious Optimism Among Lawmakers

Before the bill’s final vote, Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) raised an important critique — that much of the current education crisis stems from years of inaction. He questioned why, despite previous surpluses, the Legislature failed to prioritize schools earlier. Rep. Brad Buckley, the bill’s sponsor, had only limited time to respond but emphasized that HB 2 is a necessary investment in the future of Texas.

Still, there is disappointment among some school officials who say the bill doesn’t go far enough. The modest base funding increase falls well short of the $395 per student initially proposed by the House and pales in comparison to the $1,300 that districts say they need just to keep pace with inflation.

The Road Ahead

Despite its shortcomings, House Bill 2 marks a major step forward for Texas public education. It may not be the cure-all for every systemic issue schools face, but it's a long-awaited acknowledgment that classrooms — and those who work in them — deserve better. With the governor’s signature imminent, educators across Texas are hoping that this new chapter will bring not just funding, but renewed respect and long-term commitment to public education.