Update:
Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law the school finance reform bill HB3 while in Pfluggerville this morning.
Surrounded by fellow lawmakers and Texas education leaders, Governor Abbott said the legislature stepped up this year, to make sure that “We are providing funding for a students needs, rather than a students zipcode.” He added they are increasing teacher pay across the state but also making a teaching a true profession. Abbot explained the state is doing that by making it possible for some teachers to make $100,000 a year.
The Governor said the legislature pulled off what many called the improbable and that’s passing the reforms without a court order forcing them to do so. Abbott said, “This one law does more to advance education in Texas, than any law that I have seen in my adult lifetime in the State of Texas.”
Original:
Governor Greg Abbott will be joined by members of the Texas legislature, superintendents, teachers, and stakeholders to host a bill signing ceremony on Tuesday at Parmer Lane Elementary School. The Governor will sign House Bill 3, which will reform school finance, reduce property taxes, and increase teacher pay.
House Bill 3 dedicates more state funding for schools, creates an incentive pay program for teachers, adds career, college, and military readiness bonuses for school districts, funds full-day prekindergarten for students in poverty, and requires all elementary school principals and teachers in kindergarten through third grade be trained on science-based reading instruction by 2021.
The bill also creates a student-focused formula structure, where the needs of a child – not the child’s zip code – will determine funding allocations.
Additionally, the bill buys down property tax rates and places a 2.5{2a63e07d84fe12ceff3a79b3b7d16ceb8565bd2470b26c53e2419132d99be4c6} property tax cap on school districts starting in 2021.
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