HB 2: Public Education Funding

The Show so far…

HB 2 is the Texas House’s overall funding bill for public education. It is quite comprehensive and quite long. It has been debated on the House Floor and was passed and sent to the Texas Senate on April 17, 2025.

Key Provisions of the version of HB 2 that was passed by the Texas House of Representatives.

Increased Per-Student Funding

• The basic allotment per student will go from $6,160 to $6,500.  Note: $7,500 is the amount that was needed to keep up with inflation.  
• This amount will increase somewhat every two years as property values increase.

Teacher Salaries

• 40% of the basic allotment (up from the previous requirement of 30%) is required to be spent on raises for full-time employees (except administrators).  Of that 40%, 75% must go to raises for classroom teachers, librarians, certified school counselors or nurses.  The remaining 25% of the 40% may be spent on raises for other full-time staff.
• The bill prioritizes raises for more experienced teachers. It specifies that, for raises generated by this increase to the basic allotment, teachers with 10+ years of experience should get at least a 40% better increase than teachers with only 5+ years.   So, for example, if a teacher with 5+ years got a raise of $1,000 per year.  Teachers with 10+ years should get a raise of $1,400 per year.
• The bill also includes money to increase the amount available for the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program.  The TIA is program for implementing “Pay for Performance” for teachers.  The intent is that better teachers get higher pay. 
• The bill also includes some money to provide grants to districts to help them set up or expand TIA programs.

Certification Requirements for Educators

• Districts will be required to phase out the use of uncertified teachers for core subjects (math, reading, science, etc.) by 2031.
• The bill sets aside some funding to help uncertified staff attain certification, particularly for rural districts.  Up to $12,000 could be available per newly certified teacher depending on the specific situation.

Teacher Residency Program

The bill directs the State Board for Educator Certification to create a teacher residency program for teacher preparation.  The program should

• Use research-based best practices for recruitment and admission
• Integrate coursework, classroom practice, formal observation, and feedback
• Align with traditional preparation requirements

No funding was set aside for the implementation of this program.

Special Education

• This bill updates the special ed funding model to focus more on individual student needs and to help schools develop more conducive classroom environments for serving special ed students.

Pre-K

• Funding will now support full-day programs for eligible 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. Previous funding was only for half-day and for 4-year-olds only.
• HB 2 allows community partnerships.  Districts can use funds with public or private partners, like Head Start or child-care centers, to expand access.

Bilingual

• This bill replaces the flat 0.1 weight with higher weights (0.11–0.19) depending on the bilingual program type. This should encourage more effective models like dual language.
• It provides funding for 2 additional years after English learners exit the program to support their transition.

Fine Arts

• HB 2 creates a new fine arts Allotment for grades 6–12, providing extra funding for students enrolled in approved music, art, theater, or dance courses.  Extra funding is available for economically disadvantaged students.
• The fine arts funding is capped at $15 million statewide, with prorated funding if requests exceed the cap.

Next Steps for this bill:

• HB 2 has passed the house and is now in the Texas Senate, where it can be sent to committee for hearings and possible amendments. 
• Once it passes out of committee, the next step is to be debated and voted on by the full senate.
• If the Senate amends the bill it would go back to the House.  The House can accept the changes, or the two chambers could appoint a conference committee to work out the differences.
• Once both chambers agree on a version, it would go to the governor to be signed or vetoed, or to become law without a signature if no action is taken within 10 days.