2025 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
Highlights
$8.5 Billion
in new
school funding
100+
education bills
passed
$51 Billion
included in state budget for
property tax relief passed
since 2019
89th Legislative Session Bill Recaps
House Bill 2
HB 2 included $8.5 billion in new Texas public education funding over the next biennium (two years). Directs most of the funding toward:
- Targeted teacher pay raises, based on district size and teacher experience
- New funding for support staff
- Investments in special education
- Expanded pre-K partnerships
- A new allotment for operational costs, including utilities and property insurance
- Funding aims to ease financial pressures on school districts
Senate Bill 2
SB 2 was funded at $1 billion for the 2026–27 biennium. The new Education Savings Account (ESA) program, also known as a voucher program, is expected to see cost increases in future years.
Allows eligible students to use public funds for:
- Private school tuition
- Homeschool expenses
- Other approved education-related services
House Bill 4
HB 4 represented one of the most significant efforts in years to modernize Texas’ outdated assessment & accountability system. The bill proposed replacing STAAR with a more flexible system built on nationally- normed referenced tests, with faster results and more accurate measures of student growth.
- Allowed school districts to adopt local indicators that could be added to the state’s accountability system
- The bill died before the end of Session
- The “faster results” would have delivered timely information to improve individual student instruction at key points during the school year
What else do I need to know about the 89th Legislative Session?
Key Education Bills Passed
- HB 2 – School Funding and Teacher Pay
- HB 6 – School Discipline Reform
- HB 27 – Personal Financial Literacy Course for High School Graduation
- HB 1481 – Cell Phone Ban Policy
- SB 2 – Vouchers (Education Savings Accounts)
- SB 4 – Property Tax Relief
- SB 10 – Ten Commandments in Classrooms
- SB 11 – Prayer in Schools Policy
- SB 12 – Parental Rights Expansion
- SB 13 – Library Materials
- SB 25 – Physical Education, Recess, and Nutrition Requirements
- SB 569 – Virtual and Hybrid Schools
- SB 965 – Protect Religious Speech by School Employees
The Texas Legislature knows how to pass bold, complex, and costly measures when it’s a priority
Texas ranks 46th in the nation in per- pupil funding, and $8.5 billion is not even half of the $19.6 billion schools need simply to maintain their purchasing power from 2019.
The state legislature’s down payment of $8.5 billion will help, but it did not close the funding gap and it will not solve the budget woes of so many Texas school districts.
Property Tax Relief Since 2019
What’s Next
Thousands of Texans spoke up this Session about what they value and want for the good of public education. When lawmakers worked together in response to those voices, we found the most positive moments in our Capitol.
Effective public education advocacy is a year-round effort.
Now is the time to hold our legislators accountable for the newest decisions made at the Capitol during the 89th Legislative Session.
We are here to help you:
- Learn how the recent actions taken at the Capitol can affect your community,
- Support you in connecting with your legislators, and
- Host Listening Circles in your community.
Join our Across the Lawn emails and texts to learn how these bills will affect Texas families, schools, and communities.
Connect with your Regional Advocacy Director to find out more about local opportunities and how to join advocacy efforts in your community.
Texas should follow no state on education opportunities. Join us to help ensure our students and our communities receive more funding.
