Lawmakers advance school bills as session winds down
Texas lawmakers made major moves on education policy last week, advancing a range of bills addressing school transparency, student services, and parental rights.
In the Senate, legislators passed 14 education- related bills, including Senate Bill 414 by Sen. Mayes Middleton R-Wallisville, requiringschool districts to post school board meeting minutes, including each member’s votes, on their websites within seven days. The measure passed 26-4 after the committee substitute was adopted.
The Senate also approved SB 464 by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, allowing cities and counties to restrict e-cigarette retailers from operating within 300 feet of school campuses. The bill passed 28-2 following the adoption of two floor amendments.
Another major bill, SB 568 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, requiring school boards to publicly discuss the performance of students receiving special education services at least once per year. It passed unanimously, 30-0. Mr. Bettencourt praised the bill as “a monumental step forward” for the nearly 775,000 Texas students receiving special education services, noting that the measure shifts the state’s funding model from placement-based to service intensity-based to better align resources with student needs.
On parental rights, Senate Joint Resolution 12 by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, won final approval by a 21-9 vote. The proposed constitutional amendment would establish a parent’s right to direct a child’s education, including the choice of alternatives to public schooling.
Other Senate bills advancing to final passage included: - SB 609 by Paxton, clarifying that districts must implement any policy they are required by law to adopt (23-7 vote).
- SB 1396 by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, prohibiting the State Board of Education from adopting national Sexuality Education Standards (19-11 vote).
- SB 1786 by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, clarifying dual credit eligibility for students in grades 9-12 and expanding performance funding to private institutions (30-0 vote).
- SB 1871 by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, requiring every school campus to appoint a behavior coordinator and granting teachers greater authority to remove disruptive students from class (30-0 vote).
Meanwhile, the Texas House passed a significant education funding package, allocating $7.7 billion in new, targeted K-12 funding and $63 billion to fully fund enrollment — contingent on the passage of House Bill 2, the chamber’s school finance bill.
The House’s education funding priorities include: - $1 billion for school choice initiatives through education savings accounts, allocated in Senate Bill 2; - $400 million for school safety upgrades in House Bill 125; - $450 million to help reduce the cost of health insurance for Texas teachers.
The legislation reflects the continued push by state leaders to reshape public education, expand parental choice, and address key issues such as school safety and special education services.