Texas House Bill 3: An Overview

AN OVERVIEW

For the last twenty years, Texas has relied on the same formula for funding its public schools. But this June, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 3, a sweeping school finance overhaul that changes the way Texas calculates the amount of money public schools, including public charter schools like IDEA Public Schools, receive for each student in attendance.

AS A RESULT, ALL CHARTER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, and Independent School Districts in Texas received an increase in funding this fall. Although charter schools will still receive less taxpayer money per pupil than Independent School Districts, the passage of House Bill 3 is an important step in the right direction for public education Texas.

HERE ARE THE FIVE KEY FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW LAW:

House Bill 3 increases state funding for public education, adding $4.5 billion in new funds from 2019-2021 and more in future years. Funds will cover an increase to the basic allotment, or the foundation amount of money that every school receives for each student in attendance, as well as to the funding weights, which target additional dollars to schools for each student who is low-income, learning English, receiving special education services, or might be at-risk of academic failure. House Bill 3 also establishes grant programs to encourage schools to try promising approaches, such as merit-based pay for teachers.

IDEA Public Schools is using the majority of our new funding to increase teacher salaries. State legislators agreed on one thing at the start of the legislative session: many Texas teachers were underpaid. To help improve teacher pay, House Bill 3 required districts to spend a minimum of 30% of their new funding on salaries for teachers and certain essential school-based staff. IDEA Public Schools went above and beyond that requirement, investing approximately 50% of new dollars in raises for teachers, counselors, and school staff.

House Bill 3 isn’t just about money – the law also requires schools to implement practices intended to help students succeed, while encouraging the adoption of promising new approaches. Legislators in both the State House and State Senate agreed that the state should not put more money into schools without also improving outcomes. That’s why House Bill 3 includes dozens of new requirements for schools in areas such as early literacy, teacher training, pre-kindergarten curriculum, and college access. Many of these requirements are modeled on successful practices already in place in high-performing schools like IDEA Public Schools, such as phonics-based direct instruction in reading in the early grades. As schools implement the law, however, teachers and principals might discover that some of the regulations are overly burdensome and bureaucratic. We’ll be monitoring the implementation and be ready to suggest changes during, if necessary.

IDEA Public Schools parents, teachers, and leaders played an important role in strengthening House Bill 3. IDEA Team & Family members rallied this year to share their perspective on school finance reform. This year, teachers, staff and more than 2,250 parents, wrote letters, sent emails, made phone calls, testified, and hosted meetings with legislators. Their commitment and perseverance paid off this June when House Bill 3 was signed into law.

House Bill 3 is a great start -- but Texas still has a long way to go to ensure all students are funded fairly and have access to a great school that meets their individual needs.