$9B House Bill Designed To Improve Texas Schools

House Bill 3 (HB3) advanced to the Texas House of Representatives after the Texas House Committee on Public Education unanimously approved the bill. HB3 would inject $6 billion into classrooms over the next two years.

The money would increase funds to low-income students, increase the base funding per student from $5,140 to $6,030, allow property-wealthy school districts to obtain transportation funding, establish funding for dyslexic students, spend $100 million more to help fast-growing school districts pay for the operational expenses of opening new facilities, increase funding for dual language programs and provide either full-day prekindergarten or literacy and mathematics programs if districts already have full-day pre-K.

An additional $3 billion dispersed over the two years would drop most school districts’ property tax rates.

HB3 is backed by an overwhelming majority of House members.

The Senate already unanimously passed Senate Bill 3, which would put $4 billion toward $5,000 raises for full-time classroom teachers and librarians. The House received SB3 on March 5. There has been no activity since.

This article was originally published by Strategic Partnerships Inc.