Texas lawmakers pass major school funding reform
The Texas Legislature, in a breakthrough late session, approved a comprehensive overhaul of funding formulas for public schools designed to reduce equity gaps and create more predictable budgets across the entire state.
With bipartisan support the measure redirects billions of state dollars to districts with low property values while limiting growth in property tax revenues that wealthy areas are allowed to retain. The lawmakers say that the changes are intended to stabilize teacher salaries and decrease the large disparities of spending per student in Texas.
What this means to local residents
The quality of the programs and classes available to students is directly affected by school funding. The most benefit will be to families in low-income and rural districts, while homeowners living in suburban areas may only see modest changes to their future property tax bills. Consistent funding for education could ease the pressure of local bond election.
The Bill’s Key Provisions
- Sets new funding levels of $6.500 per student that are indexed for inflation
- The “Equity Supplement” is targeted at districts that have lower values of property.
- Reporting of additional funding to the public annually
- Over five years, the controversial system of “Robin Hood’ recapture will be phased out.
The Governor Greg Abbott will sign this legislation in the next week. Leaders in the district say that they plan to use the coming months for adjusting hiring plans and curriculum before the new school year.
General Recommendations
Visit the Texas Education Agency, Texas Tribune’s education section or the local school district news pages for more information.