- HB 2 passed on second reading in the Senate last night. It will be considered on third reading this afternoon and then head to the House where we expect the House to concur on the amendments. Here are some highlights of the bill
- Provides $2,500 for each teacher with 3 or 4 years of experience and provides $5,000 for each teacher with 5 or more years of experience
- Provides $45 per student in average daily attendance for non-administrative staff
- Provides $106 per enrolled student to pay for transportation, utilities, property casualty insurance, TRS contributions, payroll taxes, and employee benefits including health insurance
- Increases the school safety allotment to $20 per student, up from $10, and to $33,540 per campus, up from $15,000
- Provides $1,000 per initial evaluation for students being evaluated for eligibility for special education services
- Makes 4-year old students of teachers eligible for free full-day PreK
- Overall provides about $25.8 million for PISD
- HB 6, the school discipline bill, passed off the Senate floor yesterday providing clarification and additional tools for educators to respond to student behavior.
- HB 4, the assessment in accountability bill, was heard in the Senate Education committee late last night. Senator Bettencourt substituted in his own, very different language which had passed the Senate as SB 1962. Negotiations between the chambers on this bill are ongoing.
- SB 10, requiring districts to post the 10 commandments in each classroom if the posters or funds are donated to the district, was recommitted to House Public Education because of a witness list issue. It was re-reported out of committee and is scheduled for House floor consideration tomorrow.
- SB 11, requiring boards to vote on a policy related to a time of prayer and reading of religious text passed to third reading yesterday and is expected to pass off the House floor today.
- SB 24, which requires updating of TEKS to include information related to communism passed off the House floor yesterday in the form the Senate passed, so it will head to the Governor’s desk now.
- SB 414 which originally failed in committee and then was reconsidered and voted out. This bill would require districts to include projected interest paid in the amounts listed on ballots for bond elections. The bill has not yet been sent to calendars.
- SB 1209 eliminates the May uniform election date and moves all elections to the November uniform election date.
- SB 2529 requires a 60% vote of the Board to issue bonds, and a 75% vote of the Board to adopt a rate that exceeds the voter approval tax rate in the year after a VATRE fails.
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