Texas House Republicans call school funding plan "historic," but advocates say it falls short
Texas House Republicans are calling their proposed $9 billion boost to public school funding "historic," but education advocates argue that while the plan is a step in the right direction, it still falls short of what schools need to keep up with inflation and rising costs.
"House Bill 2, along with other bills we'll be hearing in our committee, will make the largest investment in our public schools in the history of the State of Texas—even when adjusted for inflation," said state Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, chairman of the House Public Education Committee.
Buckley told CBS News Texas that the new funding includes nearly $2 billion for special education, teacher pay raises, and support staff.
Bob Popinski, senior director of policy at the education advocacy group Raise Your Hand Texas, called the House proposal "a really good start" but said it still falls short.
"Since 2009, we've seen a 22% increase in inflation. What does that mean? We need about $9.8 billion per year just to maintain the same purchasing power school districts had in 2019. Over a two-year budget cycle, that means we need about $20 billion," Popinski explained.
Past Texas school budget battles and current challenges
Two years ago, the Texas Legislature left $4.5 billion for school districts unused after the House rejected Gov. Greg Abbott's proposed education savings accounts, which would have allowed taxpayer money to fund private school tuition. Over the past year, many school districts have passed deficit budgets and even closed schools.
When asked if state funding is to blame, Buckley responded, "Well, you're seeing lots of different reasons."
One key reason, he said, is inflation.
"It just costs more to do everything," Buckley noted. "Yeah, this reflects the largest investment in the history of Texas."
School enrollment declines and budget adjustments
Some school districts are also experiencing declining student enrollment, which reduces the amount of state funding they receive.
Popinski emphasized that, despite lower enrollment, districts still face the same financial obligations.
"You still have to take kids to school on the bus every day. You still have to offer them food service and hire cafeteria workers. You need principals, assistant principals, and extracurricular programs. All of that costs money," he said.
To help districts struggling with enrollment declines, House Bill 2 includes a funding safeguard.
"House Bill 2 has a 95% funding floor, meaning a district's funding cannot decrease by more than five percent per year due to enrollment declines," Buckley said. However, he added that districts still need to "right-size" their budgets. This provision of the bill is capped at $50 million.
While Popinski said this funding protection is not a top priority for Raise Your Hand Texas, he acknowledged that it would help school districts.
Proposed additional public school funding
The Texas Senate has proposed an additional $5.3 billion in public school funding. Lawmakers in the House and Senate will now need to negotiate a final deal.
Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming.
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