Across the Lawn – May 1, 2025

One Thing to Do: Be The First To Know – Join Our Alert List 

Public education bills are moving through legislation, and we want to make sure YOU are plugged in and ready to reach out to your representative at the right time.  Join our text and email list and invite a friend to join it too! 

Four Things to Know:  

1. House Committee on Public Education Advances New State Assessment and Accountability Provisions, HB 4

The House Committee on Public Education heard numerous bills the night of Tuesday, April 29, after a long day on the House floor. One of many bills heard was House Bill 4 (HB 4) by Rep. Buckley, which proposes a significant redesign of the Texas assessment and accountability system. Rep. Buckley offered a committee substitute with new language compared to the filed version of the bill. It was voted from committee 13-0. 

The Committee Substitute for HB 4 changes standardized testing and expands the indicators used to evaluate school and student performance. The bill limits testing to only those subjects required by federal law, removing assessments in eighth-grade social studies and high school U.S. History, but allowing those tests to be a local option. The bill also places a 25% cap on tech-enhanced and constructed response questions.

The bill also includes the requirement of Through-year Assessments, where students would be tested three times annually instead of once. It would require results within 24 hours, allowing educators to respond to student needs in real time. Test durations would be shortened significantly, ranging from 60 to 90 minutes, depending on grade level. The bill prohibits the use of pre-kindergarten through second-grade assessments in A-F accountability ratings. The bill also allows for local indicators, including: percent of students in school-sponsored extra- and co-curricular programs; student participation in full-day pre-K; reading and math achievement academy completion for K-5 teachers; CTE completion in 6-8; and advanced grade placement. 

Key provisions in CSHB 4 include:

• Limits testing to federally required subjects only
• Implements through-year testing with 24-hour results for grades 3-8
• Shifts assessment format to mostly constructed- and tech-enhanced response items
• Prohibits use of PK–2 assessments for school ratings
• Broadens indicators to include student engagement, CTE completion in middle school, and military readiness
• Requires legislative approval for accountability system changes made after July 15
• Provides grants for local accountability pilots 
• Allows legal recourse for school districts challenging state decisions related to testing and accountability
  

2. Other Bills Heard in the House Committee on Public Education

The House Committee on Public Education heard testimony on over 20 other bills on the night of Tuesday, April 29, and the morning of Wednesday, April 30, including: 

• Senate Bill 10 (SB 10): Mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, either through a gift or purchased posters. Left pending in committee.
• Senate Bill 24 (HB 24): Requires the SBOE to adopt social studies standards to educate students on communist regimes and ideologies. Left pending in committee.
• House Bill 54 (HB 54): Requires student codes of conduct to prohibit non-human student behaviors, with exceptions on special days, such as Halloween. Left pending in committee.
• House Bill 775 (HB 775): Allows non-enrolled students to participate in UIL activities unless prohibited by board policy. Left pending in committee.

3. Where is the Texas Legislature on School Funding and Teacher Pay? 

With about 30 days left in the legislative session, the final amount and approach related to school funding and teacher pay are still undecided. House Bill 2 (HB 2) and Senate Bill 26 (SB 26) are the two major proposals, each with its own approach.

HB 2 calls for $7.7 billion in funding over the biennium, focusing on increasing the basic allotment, special education, and other funding formulas for school districts. SB 26 allocates $4.3 billion over the biennium, prioritizing pay increases for teachers based on years of experience and the size of their school district.

HB 2 is over in the Senate Committee on Education K-16, and SB 26 has been referred to the House Committee on Public Education. 

4. School Safety Bill, SB 260, Goes to Conference Committee 

Senate Bill 260 (SB 260) related to the school safety allotment is now in conference committee to work out the differences between the Senate and House versions:  

• Senate version of SB 260 provides an increase for the school safety allotment of $500 million for the biennium, increasing the allotment from $10 to $28 per student and from $15,000 to $30,000 per campus. 
• House version of SB 260 provides an increase for the school safety allotment of $485 million for the biennium. The allotment would be increased to $14 per student and $37,000 per campus. 

Conferees from the Senate include: 

• Sen. Huffman, Chair; 
• Sen. Campbell; 
• Sen. Creighton; 
• Sen. Hinojosa; and 
• Sen. Nichols. 

The House conferees have not been named at this time.