Across the Lawn – August 22, 2025

ONE THING TO DO: Get Involved!

Do you know your local Regional Advocacy Director (RAD)? Our Regional Advocacy Directors live and work throughout Texas to create a pro-public education state. We invite you to reach out to your RAD and let them know you’re ready for a one-on-one coffee meeting or want to invite them to share a school finance or assessment and accountability presentation in your community. We’re here to connect with you!

1. House Bill 8 (HB 8), an Assessment and Accountability Bill, Passes Out of Committee

On Thursday, August 21, the House Committee on Public Education heard testimony and voted out House Bill 8 (HB 8) by Rep. Brad Buckley 8 (Yes) / 1 (No) / 6 (Not Present). This bill would replace STAAR with a new statewide assessment system beginning in the 2027–28 school year. The bill calls for beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year tests in reading, math, science, and social studies, with end-of-year exams continuing to be designed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Districts will also be able to use approved vendor options for beginning- and middle-of-year tests. 

HB 8 also shortens test length, requires faster turnaround of results, and allows districts to report local accountability indicators that could be submitted for commissioner approval.

Those expressing concern testified that the bill still relies on a TEA-designed, state-scored, end-of-year summative exam, meaning the system looks and feels much like STAAR with only minor adjustments, such as slightly shorter tests. Although tests that measure growth already exist and are used by many districts, HB 8 does not require a statewide growth model until 2032–33. With no new indicators included, accountability ratings for about 80% of campuses will continue to rest entirely on standardized test scores.

Supporters pointed out that the bill shortens test length and requires faster turnaround of results, which they say will make assessments more useful and less stressful for students. They emphasize that phasing out STAAR by 2027–28 marks a clear step toward moving away from the single high-stakes exam model. In their view, HB 8 begins a longer-term shift toward a more instructionally supportive system that balances accountability with classroom learning.

2. Senate Finance Committee Passes SB 9 on Assessment and Accountability

On Friday, August 15, the Senate Finance Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) – which is identical to HB 8 above – by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, which focuses on overhauling the state’s assessment and accountability system. SB 9 has now been placed on the Senate Intent Calendar, making it eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

3. What’s Next for These Two Bills?

HB 8 and SB 9 now move into a critical phase as lawmakers balance policy debate with the timeline of the Second Called Special Session. If the Legislature intends to adjourn Sine Die before Labor Day, the window for advancing these measures is narrow. Both chambers will need to take final action, and any differences between the House and Senate versions would then have to be worked out in conference committee.

The short timeline means lawmakers will need to move quickly on legislation that could determine the state’s testing and accountability system for years to come.

4. Other Bills of Interest on the Move

Several other bills filed during this special session could impact Texas public schools. These bills are being heard today, Friday, August 22, in the following committees: 

House Intergovernmental Affairs 

House Bill 46: Caps city, county, and school district spending growth. Annual expenditures could not exceed the prior year’s total, adjusted for population growth and inflation, unless two-thirds of local voters approve. The attorney general would have enforcement authority.

House Ways and Means House Bill 17: Changes how school districts notify taxpayers about budget and tax rates. Districts would have to mail notices directly to property owners. Newspaper publication becomes optional. The notice must include a comparison of projected revenues under the proposed tax rate with revenues adjusted for inflation and enrollment growth.