SAN ANTONIO — The Texas Democratic Caucus unveiled HB 177 on Thursday morning, in an attempt to once more bring conversations in the state back to school funding.
The bill would give teachers at one-time pay bonus of $15,000 while providing other school district employees a $5,500 bonus for the 2023-2024 school year. It would also increase the per-student basic allotment from $6,160 to $8,947.
That per-student allotment hasn't increased since 2019. Inflation began to skyrocket in 2020 and has remained high since. Lawmakers said the change was needed to simply bring Texas in line with student funding across the nation.
Northside ISD Superintendent John Craft told KENS 5 the funding would allow instructors to get ahead of inflation.
"We have not been able to keep up with inflationary pressures and it's time for the State of Texas, particularly with over $15 billion in available resources, to take care of our classroom teachers," Craft said. "We've estimated that, just to keep up with inflationary pressures since 2019, we would have needed a minimum $1,000 increase to the basic allotment. Absolutely $2,000 would make headway."
Abbott has already made it clear he wouldn't add teacher pay to the special session agenda until an education savings account, or voucher, program was passed by the legislature. Abbott told the Texas Public Policy Foundation he wanted to make sure "we provide a carrot to make sure this legislation gets passed," according to the Texas Tribune.
UTSA Political Expert Jon Taylor told KENS 5 the Democratic Caucus likely knew they wouldn't be able to pass the bill, but they still wanted to push Republicans towards additional funding.
"Could it pressure Republicans? Maybe. " Taylor said. "This is more making political points and dunking on Republicans that are put in a tough spot. 'If you vote for vouchers, you risk potentially harming public education in Texas. If you vote against vouchers, you are condemning teachers and support staff to not getting funding.'"
Taylor also said Abbott likely understood that some Republicans are set on opposing vouchers because school districts are major employers in their district.
While the Senate passed their education savings account bill (SB1) last Thursday, the Texas House has yet to even set a date to bring the bill up in committee. Taylor said there is also an open feud between House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, adding it's possible the House could be moving slowly on purpose.
"I think he knows that there is not as much support, there is not a groundswell of support for this. I mean, 94-plus percent of school-age kids in Texas goes to public schools," Taylor said. "If Abbott really believes that school educational savings accounts or traditional vouchers are the way to go, put it on the ballot and have people vote."
Craft told KENS 5 that NISD has been waiting since the beginning of the year to see how the state would use its budget surplus to support public schools. He called it "disheartening" to see teacher pay held up by a separate issue that may never get resolved.
"To hold teachers and teacher compensation hostage, which is exactly what is transpiring, for a teacher voucher plan... it's just really concerning," Craft said. "If there is a conversation to be had with ESAs or vouchers I believe that needs to be had at a much later time. The next legislative session."
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