On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the 89th Texas Legislature gaveled in, and Texas AFT was proud to represent K-12 and higher education employees the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Local union presidents from across the state came together, along with Texas AFT President Zeph Capo, to receive training and strategize on our legislative agenda.
Central to our priorities is the Educator’s Bill of Rights, developed with input from members, outlines ten fundamental rights for educators. That agenda is both ambitious, but it’s also quite simple. Many of the bills to improve working conditions would not even have a cost. We asked our members not only what they needed to remain in their jobs but also what they considered essential rights for all Texas educators — certified and classified, in K-12 and higher education, active and retired.
Contrast that with last sessions Senate Bill 9, the so-called “Teacher’s Bill of Rights” filed by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), who has just been appointed to chair the Senate Committee on Education K-16. Touting a one-time bonus for teachers as a “teacher pay raise” and offering nothing for paraprofessionals and support staff underscored how disconnected our legislature is from the real needs of our members. We tried to improve SB 9 many times, offering feedback in the Capitol from our members to no avail. This time, we’re taking things into our own hands and proactively offering real solutions for Texas schools.
Texas AFT leadership conducted office visits to legislators leaving behind the Educator’s Bill of Rights and our Thrive Together: A Vision for Texas Schools, from Pre-K to Post-white paper. With our union leadership coming from across the state, we demonstrated a united, diverse front in advocating for meaningful changes. We brought our union members voices to the place where changes occurs.
House Elects Speaker Despite Right-Wing Challenge
The election of Rep. Dustin Burrows as Speaker of the Texas House marks a significant shift in the state’s political landscape, particularly concerning public education. Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock, secured the position with a minority of support from his party, but a majority of Democrats. Does this signal a move towards more bipartisan leadership in the House? We’ll see.
This leadership change comes amid heightened debates over school vouchers in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott has been a staunch advocate for implementing a voucher scam, which would allow public funds to be used for private schooling. In the previous legislative session, such proposals were blocked by a coalition of Democrats and rural Republicans who expressed concerns about diverting funds from public schools. Many of these pro-public education representatives supported Burrows, but what does that mean for school vouchers?
With Burrows at the helm, the dynamics may shift. His election is seen as a victory for the establishment wing of the GOP, which could influence the legislative agenda. However, it’s important to note that Burrows has previously voted against removing voucher proposals from education bills, indicating potential support for such measures, which siphon much-needed funds from public schools, exacerbating existing challenges such as budget deficits and resource shortages.
As the 2025 legislative session unfolds, the direction of public education in Texas will largely depend on how Speaker Burrows navigates these contentious issues. His leadership will be pivotal in determining whether voucher proposals gain traction or if the focus will shift towards bolstering the public education system. Texas AFT members have crafted the Educator’s Bill of Rights, which includes proposals on working conditions, democratic representation, and educator salaries from K to 12 through higher education. We will update you as the Texas House and Senate begin to move on our proposals.
Comptroller Issues State Biennial Revenue Estimate
On Monday, Comptroller Glen Hagar announced that the state’s biennial revenue estimate (BRE) projects the state will have $194.6 billion available in general revenue to spend on state programs and services for the 2026-2027 biennium, a larger amount than expected.
Sales tax revenue, which is the largest funding source available to the state, is expected to increase by 9% over the previous biennium, while franchise taxes, oil production taxes, and others sources will generate the balance of funds available in the BRE.
Notably, the Texas Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF)—also known as the rainy day fund—is expected to hit its constitutionally imposed cap for the first time in state history. For the first time in Texas history, the legislature will not be required to put any state revenue into the ESF because it is constitutionally capped at 10% of total revenue from the previous biennium. The balance is expected to hit a record $28.5 billion, which hits this limit. Without the cap, the ESF could reach over $31 billion. The funds above the cap that would otherwise be transferred to the ESF will go back into the general treasury.
Additionally, the comptroller expects an estimated $23.8 billion surplus that includes $4.5 billion that was set aside last session for public education funding and held hostage tied to Governor Greg Abbott’s priority private school vouchers.
As Hotline readers will recall, the 88th Legislative Session ended with no increase to the basic allotment because of the hostage situation created by the governor. Since then, schools and students have paid the price. In May of 2024, the Texas Association of School Business Officials conducted a survey of school districts and of the 313 participants who serve 54% of the state’s students, an astounding 80% of them said that they are facing challenges with deficit budgets or insufficient resources. While less than a third of schools reported deficit budgets for the fiscal year of 2023, over half anticipate deficits for the fiscal year of 2024. The results include cutting valuable programs and staff, increasing class sizes, and even closing schools.
The Texas Legislature has not built in an inflation adjustment for our school funding. Additionally, the legislature has not increased the amount of the basic allotment ($6,160), the foundation funding for our schools, since 2019. Since 2019, inflation has surged over 22%. School districts, like the families they serve, are struggling to meet their basic needs. Rising fuel prices, property insurance, maintenance, health insurance, and food service costs have created major budget constraints for school districts throughout Texas. On top of that, the legislature has continued to push more unfunded mandates onto our schools, which has pushed even more districts into deficit budgets. The last thing our schools need right now is a new private school voucher scheme that creates a new entitlement that would divert millions away from the majority of Texas school children.
Advocates are now pushing for an increase to the basic allotment of at least $1,340 per pupil given inflation since 2023, the lack of a basic allotment increase last session, and no mechanism to automatically adjust the basic allotment to account for inflation. Fund Schools First has created a website breaking down the impact of increasing the basic allotment on raises, special education funding, school safety and security funding, and recapture. Fund Schools First is a coalition of school districts and business groups committed to public education.
As you are reading about the record largess in the state’s coffers, you might be asking a few obvious questions. Why do my property taxes keep going up while my children’s schools are not seeing additional resources? Why do our schools keep cutting the programs that students and parents love, why are they laying off experienced educators, impacting class sizes and instructional quality when the state is hording billions of Texans’ tax dollars?
These are the right questions to be asking, and your legislators need to hear them directly from you. The money is there, and our 5.5 million public school students need it. There are no excuses left for this legislature not to provide sustainable, long-term funding with inflation adjustments so that all students can thrive.
If you don’t know who represents you in the legislature, you can look it up here and contact them to let them know you want your tax dollars going to public schools and not to welfare for the wealthy in the form of private school vouchers. You can also get more involved by participating in Texas AFT’s upcoming events.
Note: The legislature does have four constitutional limits on appropriations including a limit linked to the growth of the state’s economy. If you would like to take a deeper dive into the Texas Constitution’s spending limits, see this presentation from the Legislative Budget Board.