By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
AUSTIN – Over the past few weeks in Austin, education has taken a front seat with a variety of bills passed in the Texas Senate.
The passage of Senate Bill 26, Increasing Teacher Pay, filed by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe saw unanimous success.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said, “As the husband of a long-time schoolteacher, the son-in-law of a teacher, and the father-in-law of a teacher, I understand the profound impact that a great educator has on a child’s development. I believe teaching is a profession and not just a job, and teachers should be paid accordingly.”
Patrick pointed out SB 26 will allocate more state funding for teacher salaries.
Overall, the bill is meant to “elevate the teaching profession in Texas by establishing a strong compensation framework to reward teachers for their continued commitment to Texas students and communities through retention pay increases, with nearly 80% of teachers eligible,” Patrick added.
According to a press release from Patrick’s office, SB 26 will offer teachers with experience in both the urban and suburban districts to receive pay increases from $2,500 and $5,500.
“It aims to close the pay gap between urban and suburban teachers and rural teachers, providing raises up to $10,000 for rural teachers,” Patrick explained. “Additionally, SB 26 expands the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) to enable more public schools and teachers to participate, providing a genuine pathway for teachers to earn six-figure salaries.”
Patrick said almost 80% of all Texas teachers are eligible for a permanent pay increase through the school finance formula.
SB 26 also allows teachers to enroll their children in their school’s prekindergarten program, if offered, for free.
School Safety Bill also passed in Senate
A second unanimous Senate Bill passage was SB260 to increase school safety funding.
This bill, introduced by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston is about “ensuring the safety and security of every Texan, especially our children, and is a top priority for me and the Texas Senate,” Patrick said.
He added SB 260’s aim is to permanently increase state funding for school safety by an additional $500 million for the next biennium. This funding is in addition to the existing $366 million allocated for ongoing support for public schools, as well as the $1.1 billion designated for school hardening grants from the last legislative session. Patrick thanked Huffman for her efforts in advancing this legislation and added the bill, if passed beyond the Senate will also double the annual funding for each campus from $15,000 to $30,000, which nearly triples the per-student funding from $10 to $28 each year.”
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing
on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
