Texas policymakers, educational leaders, and parents all have a vested interest in ensuring public schools meet high standards—and that starts with a transparent, reliable school accountability system. Recent court rulings and legislative developments are shaping how performance is measured and how school districts are held accountable across the state. On April 3, the Texas 15th Court of Appeals overturned a lower court injunction, clearing the way for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to release its 2023 school accountability ratings. The A-F Accountability ratings system, established in 2017, is designed to help parents, communities, and lawmakers better understand school quality and student outcomes. While the 2023 ratings are now set for release on April 24, the 2024 ratings remain under legal seal pending a separate ruling. In a concurring opinion, Chief Justice Scott Brister called on the Texas Legislature to prevent future lawsuits from stalling the accountability process, suggesting that these disputes should be addressed through an internal agency process rather than judicial means.  Lawmakers are actively considering legislation to strengthen the accountability framework. Senate Bill 1962 (SB 1962), authored by Senator Paul Bettencourt, recently advanced through the Senate Education K-16 Committee. This bill would prohibit school districts from using taxpayer dollars to sue the state over accountability ratings and would enhance the TEA Commissioner’s authority to enforce performance standards. A similar proposal, House Bill 4 by Chairman Brad Buckley, is under consideration in the House. The Greater Houston Partnership testified in support of SB 1962, reinforcing our belief that a rigorous, transparent accountability system is essential for Texas’ economic competitiveness and long-term workforce readiness.  For more updates and alerts on the Texas Legislature, click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Education policy is often at center stage in the Texas Legislature. This session, lawmakers are teeing up another slate of bills that could contend with 2019’s sweeping bipartisan effort to reform education finance. A $10 Billion Increase in State Spending This legislative session, lawmakers plan to add $10 billion in new funding for education. If passed, that puts the total amount at more than $100 billion for public education in Texas. House Bill 500 seeks to increase state spending by more than $1 billion to compensate for the federal funding shortfall in education. The supplemental bill is a stepping stone to larger proposals, including House Bill 2 (HB 2). The Texas House is proposing nearly $8 billion in new funding for teacher pay raises, expanded Pre-K and early childhood education programs, and increasing the funding formulas per student. Click here to read more about HB 2 and its proposals. Six-Figure Salaries for Teachers Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath testified in House Public Education earlier this year that Texas already has teachers in the six-figure salary range. This session, lawmakers are looking to expand the number of teachers who qualify for retention bonuses and merit-based pay increases. HB 2 and Senate Bill 26 take different paths to the same solution. Lawmakers are intent on keeping quality teachers in the classroom rather than promoting them to administrative positions. Both bills offer significant increases in the Teacher Incentive Allotment. The bills specifically add funding to help more school districts participate in the merit-based incentive program for high-performing teachers. Read more about teacher pay increases here. The ABCs of HB 123 The Partnership supports House Bill 123 by Houston-area Representative Harold V. Dutton. The longtime lawmaker is introducing this proposal to target kindergarten readiness, early childhood literacy, and math skills across the state. Early estimates put funding for the proposal between $260 million and $392 million by 2030. The proposal includes a new program that would provide funding to parents of students who do not meet target goals for reading and math. The program would also offer grants for tutors and other study aides to help young students get back on track if they fail to hit those targets by the third grade. These are just a handful of the policy proposals related to public education. The Partnership is focused on increasing school funding and strengthening accountability standards. Click here to learn more about the Executive Priorities for the 89th Texas Legislature. For more updates and alerts on the Texas Legislature, click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.