Texas Senate school finance plan slashes per-student bump, outlines teacher pay raises – Dallas News

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AUSTIN — Increases in per-student funding for Texas public schools would be slashed in the Senate’s version of a finance overhaul compared to the House’s draft of the bill.
Sharp differences emerged Wednesday between the two chambers’ plans to add billions to the state’s education system. Leading among them was how much to boost the basic per-student funding that’s sat at $6,160 for six years — in the House wants to add $395 to that figure while the Senate wants to add $55.
A full version of the Senate’s proposal was not available Thursday. Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who is leading the Senate’s effort on the funding bill, distributed a two-page summary of proposed changes. Creighton intends to have a hearing on the bill Thursday.
The differences between his proposal and the bill the House passed on April 17 were stark and show that the upper chamber is asserting its agenda over the House.
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The bill includes policies from numerous other Senate bills, including four Creighton authored. It incorporates a “teacher rights” proposal, a school safety allotment and phasing out uncertified teachers by 2030, according to a synopsis of the bill provided by Cerighton’s office. All were part of Senate bills that passed with bipartisan support.
“All of these issues are cornerstones of our Senate education agenda,” Creighton said Tuesday in an interview.
That sent shockwaves through the House Democratic leadership after members had lauded that chamber’s increase in per-student funding, even as many frowned over the House proposal’s failure to keep up with inflation that has driven many districts to cut programs and close schools.
“The House offered our starving schools crumbs; the Senate is now offering no more than dust,” read a House Democratic Caucus information sheet obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, said in a statement Wednesday that, “Gov. Abbott and Texas Republicans are defunding our schools in broad daylight.”
Increasing the basic allotment allows districts flexibility over how they spend money. The House’s $7.7 billion plan dedicated 40% of the increase to teacher pay in its version, but district leaders could largely choose how to spend the rest.
Creighton’s proposal has a more targeted approach. For example, his $7.9 billion proposal would provide across-the-board raises for teachers who stay in the classroom at least three years. Those who teach for five years could double that raise.
The formula differentiates the value of the bonuses based on a district’s size. Teachers in small school systems – those of less than 5,000 students – would get $5,000 in year three, while those in larger districts would get $2,500.
Educator salaries in rural areas lag behind those in urban areas. Such a differentiation would help close the gap.
That’s compared to a roughly $4,150 universal pay increase that was estimated in the House version.
Teachers would see other perks in the Senate version as well, including a requirement for districts to include their children in free pre-K programs.
To address Texas’ growing reliance on uncertified teachers, the bill creates an allotment that would pay aspiring educators to train in classrooms and fund teacher residency programs.
Lawmakers want schools’ use of uncertified teachers phased out by 2030, except in limited cases. The House would require that a district’s uncertified educator pool make up no more than 5% in that time.
This crackdown comes as the percentage of uncertified teachers working in Texas public schools hits a new high.
Roughly 12% of all the state’s teachers have not earned a certification, the latest data from the Texas Education Agency reveals.
That means the agency has no record of what kind of training — if any — more than 40,000 educators received before they stepped into the classroom.
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
Philip Jankowski has covered government, politics and criminal justice in Texas for 17 years. He previously worked for the Austin American-Statesman, the Killeen Daily Herald and the Taylor Press. Philip is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
Talia is a reporter for The Dallas Morning News Education Lab. A Dallas native, she attended Richardson High School and graduated from the University of Maryland. She previously covered schools and City Hall for The Baltimore Sun.

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