Public Education

Tuesday was the last day for the Texas House to take an initial vote on Senate bills. Legislation to require the Ten Commandments in public schools did not make it to the floor by the midnight deadline.

State lawmakers vowed to do right by teachers this session, as tens of thousands of educators have left the field in recent years. But the bills that still have a chance of passing include only modest raises that may not keep teachers in the classroom.

The Texas House Public Education Committee will hold a hearing Monday on legislation to create education savings accounts. The House blocked the committee chair's attempt to hold a vote on Wednesday.

While there have been incremental salary increases in Texas and the U.S., the president of the National Education Association said, they're not keeping pace with inflation and not enough to address the nationwide teacher shortage.

House Republican leaders have said the budget tackles some of their priorities, including providing tax relief to homeowners across the state.

Pflugerville ISD in the Austin area is looking at shuttering one elementary school to save money, but it’s not the only district considering closures. Declining enrollment and stagnant state funding are leaving many districts with tight budgets and in some cases budget deficits.

The district first announced possible closures in an effort to save money in December. At that time, the district was looking at closing two to three elementary schools.

The latest results from a Texas Lyceum poll show an erosion of trust in some of America’s most important institutions, including the education system.

Public education advocates hope lawmakers will spend more on schools, raise teacher salaries and prioritize mental health resources. The last time the Texas Legislature made a major financial investment in the public school system was before the pandemic in 2019.

The omicron variant has resulted in record-high COVID-19 cases in Texas schools. Despite student and staff absences, one Round Rock student said schools are remaining open for in-person learning “while everything around us is falling down.”