With a month left in session, state lawmakers remain divided over how much more to pay teachers and whether to use billions toward helping students enroll at private schools.
With a month left in session, Texas lawmakers remain divided over how much more to pay teachers and whether to use billions toward helping students enroll at private schools.The state House and Senate agree that they want to invest about $5 billion more this session toward educating Texas kids, but they remain deeply divided over how to spend it.
The House passed its version, HB 100, on Thursday. It provides modest increases to the base, per-student funding number for Texas schools over each of the next two fiscal years, and it also ties that number to inflation going forward, in what public education advocates have said would be a big win. While the House has signaled it does not want to use state funds to subsidize private education, the Senate is pushing a bill authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, that would provide $8,000 for students who leave public schools to attend private alternatives. Proponents have framed the push around parental rights.
Another bill authored by Creighton, SB 9, would provide pay bumps to teachers for one year. Teachers in districts with more than 20,000 students would receive a $2,000 raise, while those in smaller districts would get $6,000.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Texas House OKs marijuana decriminalization bill again as Senate hurdles remainThe Senate, led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a longtime opponent of legalization, has consistently blocked the legislation.
Read more »
In the Texas Capitol: House attacks teacher shortage, Senate attacks trans-health careAt the Texas Capitol, it's been another day of heavy lifting for Texas lawmakers covering topics from controversial new limits on gender-affirming healthcare to reversing the exodus of public school teachers.
Read more »
Texas Senate passes bill greenlighting anti-abortion monument on state groundsThe Texas Senate passed a bill that would allow the construction of an anti-abortion monument on Capitol grounds. The 8-foot-tall statue would be a replica of the 'Life Monument' from Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz.
Read more »
Texas Senate advances limits on farmland sales to China, other countriesThe amended bill is a dramatically watered-down version of an earlier proposal that sought to ban land and home purchases by citizens of China and three other countries. tx kprc2 click2hou
Read more »
Texas Senate advances limits on farmland sales to China, other countriesThe Texas Senate initially approved a bill that limits the sale of farmland to citizens and entities associated with China and several other countries. An earlier proposal sought to ban land and home purchases by citizens of China and three other countries.
Read more »
Senate bill to ban enemy ownership of Texas land advances with new safeguardsThe Texas Senate advanced a bill to restore the rightful lawful residents to own a homestead, investment property, and commercial businesses.
Read more »