Texas public schools are about to see a major cash infusion. Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed an $8.5 billion funding bill that delivers sweeping investments in teacher pay, early learning and campus security.
"Texas should be number one in educating our children," Abbott said. "The foundation is now in place for Texas education to begin the upward climb."
HB 2, one of the most closely watched bills of this year's legislative session, includes a historic $4.2 billion for teacher and school staff raises. The new law will dedicate nearly $2 billion to revamping the state's special education system and expanding access to full-day pre-K and early learning interventions, along with career and technical education programs. Another $430 million is set aside for school safety upgrades.
Most of the law takes effect in September, with some provisions starting next year.
During his 2025 State of the State address in February, Abbott named teacher pay raises an emergency legislative priority. Thus began months of negotiations between the Texas House and Senate over HB 2, which underwent significant revisions before finally landing on Abbott's desk shortly before the session ended earlier this week.
The law will also raise the state's basic allotment, the base amount schools receive per student, by $55. While the House initially proposed a $395 increase, that figure was scaled back during negotiations. Still, it's the first boost to the allotment since 2019.
HB 2 was pushed forward alongside Senate Bill 2, a measure that will create a statewide school voucher program. This will allow parents to use state tax dollars toward costs associated with educating their children outside of Texas' public school system – including private school tuition and homeschool expenses. The governor signed SB 2 into law last month; the voucher program is expected to launch in 2026.
On Wednesday, Abbott was joined by lawmakers and public school educators, including Temple ISD teacher JoMeka Gray, who was recently named a finalist for 2025 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. Gray praised HB 2, adding that it "makes a powerful commitment to the future of the teaching profession.
"This allows more teachers to focus entirely on teaching, without the constant worry of meaning a liveable wage and keeps our most effective teachers in the classroom," Gray said. "This legislation touches the lives of 5.5 million students enrolled in Texas public schools."
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