The Texas House of Representatives is expected to consider on Friday, November 17, House Bill 1 of the 88th Legislature's fourth special session after passing the House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment. 

HB 1 would provide a one-time teacher pay raise of $4,000 for 2023-24, but does not account for maintaining that salary increase in future years. It also increases the basic allotment from $6,160 (where it has been since 2019) to $6,700 for the 2024-25 school year, despite districts needing an increase of more than $1,000 just to account for inflation since 2019. 

The bill also creates an education savings account (voucher) program that would provide vouchers in the amount of $10,000 per student to use on private school costs.

The Legislative Budget Board reported that the voucher program included in HB1 will cost the state $2 billion in the second year of the program and continue to grow each year after that. This creates a significant new financial commitment for the state while public schools remain underfunded by more than $14 billion. 

Keller ISD, alone, is looking at a $27 million budget deficit for the 2024-25 budget year, and it is not alone in its budget struggles while the state is sitting on unprecedented budget surplus of more than $33 billion. 

Keller ISD urges its stakeholders to reach out to their elected representatives and tell them to make public school funding a priority. You can visit SaveKellerISD.net to access a form that will automatically contact your representatives.