Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has enacted House Bill 2, providing an unprecedented $8.5 billion in new funding for public education and a historic $4 billion for teacher and staff pay raises. The signing ceremony took place at Salado Middle School with over 175 educators, students, and parents in attendance.

"Now is the time to make Texas No. 1 in educating our children," Governor Abbott stated. "House Bill 2 ensures that our schools are funded better than ever, teacher pay and student funding are at all-time highs, reading and math performance will improve, and students will be better prepared for the workforce."

The event was attended by several notable figures including Chairman Brandon Creighton, Chairman Brad Buckley, Salado Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Novotny, and Temple ISD teacher JoMeka Gray.

JoMeka Gray expressed her support for the legislation: "House Bill 2 is more than just policy—it is a promise to our teachers," she said. "This legislation touches the lives of 5.5 million students enrolled in Texas public schools."

Other attendees included Senator Pete Flores; Representatives Charles Cunningham, Paul Dyson, Caroline Harris Davila among others; Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath; and various state and local officials.

In his 2025 State of the State Address, Governor Abbott highlighted expanding career training and a teacher pay raise as emergency items this legislative session. House Bill 2 aims to expand career and technical education—particularly in rural areas—by increasing funding for high-demand fields.

The bill outlines significant investments such as:

- $4 billion for teacher pay raises

- $153 million to enhance career education opportunities

- $834 million for special education reforms

- Additional funds targeting early literacy improvement

Moreover, Governor Abbott announced that more than $481 million from Teacher Incentive Allotment funds were awarded to over 42,000 designated Texas teachers during the 2024-25 school year.

House Bill 2 builds on previous school finance reforms from 2019 by offering additional funding strategies identified in Governor Abbott’s address.