Teachers responding to the KHOU 11 Back-to-School survey say money is among their top 2024-2025 school year concerns. For the last two years school districts have found several ways to increase employee salaries, and raise the starting salaries for certified teachers.
In Texas, there is a minimum state salary for classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time counselors, and full-time nurses. The salary schedule has not been adjusted for entry-level or veteran teachers since the 2019-2020 school year.
National Education Association, a labor union headquartered in Washington D.C., ranks Texas 30th in the nation for average teacher salaries. According to the 2024 statistics from the labor union, the average teacher salary is $60,716. Salaries in Texas are less than the national average of $69,644.
THE QUESTION
Viewer Gloria asks: "If Texas Senate Bill 2 passed permanent teacher pay raise of $3,000 beginning this school year of 2024-2025?"
THE SOURCES
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Office of Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick
Texas Legislature
National Education Association
Aldine ISD
Cleveland ISD
Crosby ISD
Spring ISD
Magnolia ISD
Katy ISD
Humble ISD
Montgomery ISD
Lamar CISD
THE ANSWER
No, the state of Texas is not funding teacher pay raises for the 2024-2025 school year. The Texas House of Representatives did not pass SB 2, but the Texas Senate did.
WHAT WE FOUND
During the third special session of the Texas legislature that started in October 2023, the Senate passed SB 2. The bill proposed increasing the basic allotment by $75 per student, while also offering increases to teacher salaries for the 2024-2025 school year.
According to the bill for the 2024-2025 school year teachers were entitled to a $3,000 permanent pay raise. Teachers in rural school districts were entitled to an additional $7,000 in districts where there were less than 5,000 students.
The Texas House of Representatives did not pass the measure because of a stalemate over Gov. Greg Abbott's school choice program.
The Texas Legislature is slated to convene for a regular session in January 2025. Until legislators meet, or the governor calls a special session before then, billions of state dollars remain inaccessible to public schools in Texas.
Districts around the Houston area have been vocal about the lack of state funding.
Montgomery ISD (MISD) is one of the districts in the Houston area dealing with a budget shortfall. In a press release from June 2024 after the board of trustees passed the district's $93 million budget, Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin says, "MISD has been negatively impacted by factors outside our control such as inflation, decreases in federal funding through Medicaid reimbursements, a stagnant level of funding provided by the State, and recapture payments we have been forced to send back to the State.”
Despite the budget shortfall MISD was able to offer pay increases to the district's employees.
For Spring ISD, the district is looking to generate $20 million in additional revenue through a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) on the Nov. 5 ballot. According to the district, "The proposed tax rate, if approved by voters, would provide critical funding for teacher and staff salaries, including a 2% across the board raise for all staff. Starting teacher pay would increase from $60,500 to $61,500 per year, and targeted adjustments would be made for teachers with 5-15 years of experience, putting it in line with other local school districts. Additionally, the district’s remaining budget deficit would be reduced from $12 million to less than $1 million."
Magnolia ISD is also looking for voters to financially assist the school district through VATRE on the Nov. 5 ballot. In August 2024, the district's board of trustees unanimously decided to add the measure to the ballot, which will have the average homeowner pay $8.21 more per month.
According to Magnolia ISD, "If voters approve the November 5 VATRE, the district does not incur any new debt, but it will receive $3.7 million more in local funding annually and $3.7 million more in state funding annually to be used for staff salaries and campus safety. If voters reject the November 5 VATRE, the district will not receive the additional $3.7 million in local funds or the $3.7 million in state funds annually to pay for staff salaries and campus safety."