Published May 23, 2019 by Taylor Landin
The Texas Legislature has announced an agreement to pass historic and transformational school finance reform with House Bill 3. Since before the legislative session began, the Greater Houston Partnership has championed school finance reform that included substantial new state investment in public education with some of that funding tied to measurable outcomes. The Legislature has done just that.
The Houston business community is grateful for the Texas Legislature’s prioritization of public education. We applaud Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen for their unified effort to establish school finance reform as the number one priority for the Texas Legislature during the first month of the 86th Legislative Session. We are also proud that two Houston-area legislators were instrumental in this effort. Senate Education Committee Chairman Larry Taylor and House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty dedicated themselves to this effort and delivered transformational school finance reform.
This legislation contains transformational proposals that reflect the Greater Houston Partnership’s principles on school finance reform including funding for:
This historic reform legislation increases the state’s share of funding public education from 38 percent to 45 percent, and reduces the burdensome cost of recapture. Houston-area students will directly benefit from the funding allocated to proven programs directed at the highest need student populations. We look forward to continuing to support public education so that all of our students have an opportunity to graduate fully prepared to enter a twenty-first century workforce.