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Senate Finance met on October 9 to discuss SB 2 (Creighton) proposed legislation that includes teacher compensation and funding for public schools.

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer.

Opening Comments

  • Chair Huffman – Legislature allocated $94b in total this last session for public education
  • $4.5b remains available in the budget for increase to the foundation allotment, school choice, and teacher pay
  • This is not the voucher bill; bills adds $1.2b to public education
  • Comptroller released updated CRE; is $6b in GR capacity remaining under the spending limit
  • Should leave capacity to address supplemental needs next session
  • Kolkhorst – The $6b that is left includes funds that we would use in the supplemental
  • Perry – We know there are unforeseen events that may happen, and cannot be sure that the CRE will remain the same

 

SB 2 (Creighton/Huffman) Relating to a local optional teacher designation system implemented by a school district, a security officer employed by a school district, the basic allotment and guaranteed yield under the public school finance system, and certain allotments under the Foundation School Program; making an appropriation

  • Creighton – Teacher pay, budget that handled school finance, and other public school related bills did not pass the finish line
  • Bill gives every public school teacher a raise
  • Senate passed HB 100 after the House had rejected the separate school finance/school choice/teacher pay bills last session
  • Had a 22% increase in public school funding after last session
  • Bill adds $1.2b to continue effort to bolster public school funding to support/value teachers
  • We have good news for the economic forecast, but need to be cautious
  • Teachers do not just need support economically
  • Basic Allotment increases total $975m in the bill; districts will have full discretion on how to spend those funds
  • No longer requirement for districts to spend 30% on teacher salaries in the BA; gives flexibility
  • Texas is home to more Blue Ribbon schools than anywhere else
  • $300m dedicated to accelerate the Teacher Incentive Allotment
  • Of those participating in the TIA, are 15k teachers making up to $36k above their base salary
  • $3k across the board teacher pay raise; $1k more than was proposed last session
  • For districts with 5k students and under will have a parity increase of $7k above the $3k
  • Huffman – Are school safety provisions in this bill; doubling annual school safety student allotment, increasing from $10 to $20 ADA
  • Doubles annual per campus allotment from $15k to $30k
  • Clarifies who qualifies as an armed security officer; worked with Commissioner Morath on this
  • If districts employ a school marshal or school guardian, they have satisfied the requirement to have an armed security officer; decision still stays with the school board
  • Zaffirini – Agree with most of this bill; did you consider tying BA to CPI and/or inflation?
    • Creighton – Had many discussions to do that, increases to BA are consistent with what we have done in the past, did not have the support to do it that way
    • Increase of BA of $75 ties separately with the billions increased for teacher pay
    • Are giving districts flexibility on this and have the TIA as well
  • Zaffirini – Teacher retention bonus and allotment – rationale for differentiating school districts those with fewer than 5k students?
    • Creighton – Those with fewer than 5k per districts covers 83% of the state; these smaller districts are more disadvantaged and have a lack of parity concerning pay
  • Zaffirini – $3k teacher pay raise, have talked about $6k or more in the past, is this the best we can do?
    • Creighton – Is a responsible move and is sustainable; is about showing teachers the budget culture the legislature is dedicated to
  • Zaffirini – Is this money tied to vouchers?
    • Creighton – Vouchers are not the proposition, is an ESA; but yes, this is separate
  • Bettencourt – If Prop 4 passes, will put another $600m into schools

 

Mike Morath, TEA Commissioner

  • Bettencourt – Are changing the budget culture on how we fund schools; are looking to pay for what we want to see improve; is not one size fits all; will be a substantial amount of money going into public education?
    • Yes, infusion of funds into public education is significant; were looking at a 29% increase funding even before this bill
    • About $1b in BA per year; targeted funding for pay; districts have not kept pace with teacher pay as the legislature has increased per pupil funding
    • TIA is indexed; immediate infusion of $300m, but will in the future reach $1b
    • Rural Texas currently pays teachers about $7k less
  • Bettencourt – Taking 30% teacher pay requirement off as we are paying teacher pay in a new fund; allowing them to make their own decisions
    • All in, with federal funds, funding $14k per kid
    • Provision in this bill is creating compensation allotment
    • Are targeting funding at areas that have the biggest evidence base
  • Kolkhorst – $1.2b is more than total of the proposals during the regular session?
    • Creighton – Correct, additional school safety funds and BA increase
  • Kolkhorst – Heard complaints that schools cannot hire an SRO for $15k; are doubling school safety funds in this bill; doubling Safety Allotment?
    • Creighton – Correct
  • Kolkhorst – Superintendent from Fort Bend ISD has told me they are all in for the increases to the Teacher Retention Allotment
  • Kolkhorst – What is schools outgrow the 5k student population?
    • Creighton – Those under 5k would not receive the additional pay for teachers
  • Kolkhorst – Think there should be a transition between schools who are under 5k and then are above 5k
    • Creighton – Are hard and fast eligibility requirements; have to draw the line somewhere
  • West – Bill has a $75 increase in BA, a number we can say that schools can use for teacher pay
    • Creighton – Are removing 30% parameter for teacher pay
  • West – Like concept of restructuring; how much is current BA used from teacher allotment that would be freed up under this bill?
    • Morath – No offset to the Compensation Allotment; new money added to the BA will be flexible
  • West – Asking about BA, not the Compensation Allotment
    • Morath – Are restructuring existing money in the BA, will not be reduced teacher pay
  • West – Is the state shouldering the appropriate amount of support for the school safety program knowing the average cost for an SRO is $100k?
    • Huffman – Are doubling the state’s funding for that; not all schools have access to an SRO; have guardianship and marshal options
    • Morath – Important policy change; are not enough sworn officers in the state for each school; school districts have to have a blended staff of SROs/marshals/etc.
  • West – Have run models on this blended approach? What cost?
    • Morath – 80-90% of scenarios would be covered by this funding; based on management decisions of the district
  • Nichols – Appreciate urban senators giving urban schools extra thought with the parity funding
  • Nichols – Is a significant change in Section 3, do not think we want to adopt this as it is written
  • Nichols – Burrows had a bill that set the standard of a trained law enforcement officer at each campus; is no physical way to do that given the reality of our situation; in the conference committee agreed that “but for just cause” can use a marshal or a guardian, but the school board needs to vote on it
  • Nichols – This bill gets away from setting the standards the highest initially, does not want the bill to diminish standard
    • Creighton – will work with Nichols after the hearing, does not want to diminish standard
  • Perry – No way for district to supplant on teacher salary?
    • Morath – believes that is correct, says language in the bill is to increase
    • Perry – the intent of the legislation is to increase compensation
  • Perry – Small number of districts participating in Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), are you helping rural districts to get engaged in the process and what does that data look like?
    • Morath – rural applicants tend to be more successful getting into the program than larger districts
    • $30 million yearly grant program in the bill
    • Will get data for him on how many are participating
  • Perry – what is status of day placement and DAP, wants to know about permanent placement for really challenging kids, Perry says teachers crying because of students who have discipline issue in classroom, wants to work on this as the bill moves
    • Morath – Capacity is significant challenge all over
    • Morath – Want to create most holistic, loving but learning environment
    • Morath – This narrow behavior issue does cause them to see staff departures
    • Creighton = Plan to offer the teachers bill of rights bill again and it will have Perry’s language in there
  • Hinojosa – Wants to know if they are doing away with the 30% requirement in basic allotment, so does it take away the discretion to use the basic allotment to fund salaries
    • Creighton – districts can decide how to use the BA on top of the amounts the bill is already adding to salary

Public Testimony

Huffman – notes this bill is not about ESAs/school choice, that bill is coming up tomorrow

 

Andy Vince Karter, UpBring and Trintiy Charter

  • Advocates for virtual education to be included in the discussion
  • School serving at risk youth will have challenges be eligible for full funding

 

Richard Sena, Boerne ISD Trustee

  • Thanks them for property tax relief
  • Would like to see support for teachers
  • Bettencourt – would like an A+ for the tax relief
    • Sena – will give them an A+ for teacher pay
    • Sena – older community seeing $3-4k in relief on taxes and they appreciate that

 

Anna Rush, Del Valle ISD Admin

  • Had to cut staff and services due to a lack of funding, gives example of cuts being made
  • Losing teachers to private industry
  • Need more funding and teachers
  • Invest in public education today and further

 

 

Courtney Carpenter, Argyle ISD Superintendent

  • Urge to add funding to the call
  • Even highly performing districts are in crisis as well
  • Joint letter from several high performing districts
  • Basic Allotment needs to be increased
  • Lose nearly a quarter of million in recapture, $3.4 million funding cliff in formula transition grant
  • Passed a balance budget until about 3 years ago, but board is committed to provide increases to staff

 

Leigh Ann Artho, Argyle ISD Trustee

  • Mom of 9 children
  • Advocating for including public education funding
  • Facing expiration of formula transition grant which will expire and impact 6% of their budget
  • Request increase not be tied to mandates, maintain autonomy

 

Josh Westrom, Argyle ISD Trustee

  • Support their efforts to expand call to include public education finance
  • Problem is underfunded public schools
  • Trying to budget on flat allotment since 2019

 

Frank Rivera, Senior Policy at Teach Plus Texas

  • Support teacher allotment and bonus

 

Bryce Adams, Texas Public Charter Schools

  • Students deserve safe and secure facility, charter schools receive less on safety than tradition public schools
  • Most of gap is in facility funding
  • Hughes inquires about SHACs in charters

 

Amy Litzinger, Texas Parent to Parent

  • Don’t count on private schools to take students with special education, does not support moving funding from public schools to private schools
  • Wants to see funding based on intensity of services

 

Linda Litzinger, Texas Parent to Parent

  • Vouchers don’t help kids with special needs
  • All 14 recommendations in the task force committee should be approved

 

Raven Morris, Teacher from Teach Plus 

  • Teaching is not a viable career in Texas
  • Teacher retention allotment and bonus help secure her staying in the field

 

Sarah Elwell, Teacher from Teach Plus

  • In favor of expanding the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)
  • Discusses her success with the program

 

Jamica Gray, Teacher from Teach Plus

  • In favor of expanding the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)
  • Only 378 school districts participated in this program
  • Discusses her success with the program
  • Expanding TIA and increase award will help with requirements and retaining qualified teachers

 

Ben Mackey, Texas Impact

  • Supports TIA and now have 481 systems across the state that have implemented this program
  • Designated teachers being retained at 86%
  • Bettencourt and witness discuss the number of increases
  • West – what is the biggest obstacle for districts to participate?
    • At a minimum it takes 2 years for a district to design and implement
    • Agrees with West cutting down time would be helpful but must maintain quality of program

 

Sabrina Gonzalez Cantu, Educational Disabilities Council

  • Points out the task force recommendation funding on special education
  • Update the way special education is funded to move to intensity based model
  • Would like this to be added to the legislation
  • Bettencourt – agrees with recommendation of the report and will be refiling the bill

 

Steven Aleman, Disabilities Rights Texas

  • Growing number of students with disabilities and growing costs
  • Bill still needs work such as portions addressing special education finance reform, thanks members for their work on that committee and Bettencourt’s remarks

 

Lonnie Hollingsworth, Texas Teachers Association

  • Appreciate vouchers are not included in this legislation
  • Appreciates ongoing, pass through raise for teachers
  • Have concerns with TIA, it’s really not an incentive for all teachers so not all teachers may be eligible
  • Ask them to look for ways to include all teachers in TIA

 

Pujab Kulanni, Katy ISD Senior

  • Thank you for not taking away funding from teachers and students
  • Giving resources to teachers, double the safety budget helps address public education funding needs

 

Chloe Latham Sykes, IDRA Deputy Director

  • Would love to see additional funding included such as $1k increase in BA and tie to inflation adjustment
  • Would like to see targeted funding for bilingual and special education
  • Huffman – says the bill is not married to school vouchers

 

Jennifer Easley, Texas PTA President

  • Hope bill not tied to voucher
  • Agree need to look at security funding but not necessarily require hybrid

 

Hayden Cohen, Students Engage

  • Appreciate focus on funding public school funding
  • Glad paying teachers more, but it could be more given that many are working multiple jobs

 

James Hallamek, Texas State Teachers Association

  • Teachers need continue pay raise, not one time bumps
  • Will not endorse a bill that goes hand in hand with a voucher

 

Paul Culber, Individual

  • Reviews history of basic allotment
  • Points out the discrepancies in the funding
  • Creighton points out the amounts are $3k and $7k
  • Creighton – in last 10 years, administrative jobs have grown 76% and teachers have grown 7%
  • Creighton – need to address something that will bring change, they stand for teachers and without guardrails teachers don’t win
  • Bettencourt – wants to visit after the hearing, and review his numbers

 

Patty Quinzi, Texas AFT

  • SB 2 leaves out librarians, counselors and nurses and every other support person on campuses
  • Points out decrease of salary of support staffers
  • Notes still behind the average
  • Urges them to talk to teachers who have been through TIA other than those pushing it, teachers said would rather not have if coaches or librarians can’t access and it is tied to test scores
  • Look at increasing the BA that would lift all salaries

 

Claudia Torres Yanez, HR executive and Parent from PFISD

  • Discusses her school on list of closure due to lack of funding, school districts across the state are suffering
  • Incentives create culture concerns such as less teamwork, etc
  • Security requirements are not based on evidence that it will address the concern

 

Josh Sanderson, Equity Center

  • Request to use every penny to increase BA, to largest increase as possible because it goes to salary increases
  • It provides discretionary spending
  • Every % increase of BA then allotments go up that are based on basic allotments
  • Appreciate discussions on school safety increase
  • CAD study failing districts to the tune of about $200 million

 

Laurie Solez, PTA and Mom

  • Thanks them for intentional increases
  • Concerned of unintended consequences of TIA, leaving out art teachers, etc
  • Believes basic allotment increase is the best way to address salary needs
  • TIA model insulting to teachers saying if you want to be paid more, work harder
  • $75 extra in basic allotment not enough

 

Robert Norris, Grandparents for Public Schools

  • Speaking on behalf of his granddaughter as well
  • Texas underfunding public schools, per student spending is lower than many states
  • Increase basic allotment by at least $1k and pay teachers a salary that recognizes their contributions

 

Chandra Villanueva, Every Texan

  • Increase in basic allotment is the most efficient and equitable way to improve funding

 

Andrea Chevalier, TCASE

  • Special Education Funding Commission recommendations – intensity based funding model, raising special education transportation rate, funding for evaluations
  • Prefer for more funds to flow into the basic allotment which allows for flexibility
  • Need to pay more to those in special education, need evaluators to help us stay on timelines

 

Monty Exter, ATPE

  • Encourage that bills are separate and hope they remain separate
  • Would not support if tied to vouchers
  • Caution against pitting urban against rural, teachers against other staff, etc

 

Parent from Round Rock ISD

  • Discusses her experience as a parent, substitute teacher, and experiences in Art
  • Teachers in Art open their heart and wallet

 

Close testimony

SB 2 reported favorably 13-0