FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2025
CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org
Educators welcome much needed pay raises but lament bottom line for schools
AUSTIN, Texas – Today, Texas AFT is calling on members of the Texas House of Representatives to concur on Senate changes to House Bill 2, despite lingering concerns. The version of HB 2 passed by the Senate still does not bring schools back to 2019 funding levels, but it does make meaningful and long overdue investments in educator pay. It is our union’s sincere hope that the investments made in the classroom deliver on the Republican majority’s promise of staving off the major cuts and layoffs and offsetting the most severe deficit budgets. Texas AFT, as one of the only organizations advocating for all school employees, is particularly grateful for the support staff allotment – a dedicated source of funding to make sure that every single person in our public schools who has dedicated their life to supporting our students is paid a fair living wage.
Still, our public schools are in crisis. As leadership negotiated this compromise, Fort Worth ISD voted to close 18 schools in the next four years, and Cy-Fair ISD, the state’s third-largest district, met to address its projected $50 million budget shortfall. Even with this investment, these may not be the last districts forced into difficult decisions about closures, layoffs, and student service cuts before lawmakers return to Austin in 2027. It’s important to recognize that HB 2 will help, but for many districts, it still won’t close the gaps left by decades of underfunding.
“Texas AFT supports the compromise on House Bill 2, which makes significant investments in educators and support staff while hopefully also keeping the lights on for another two years in our public school classrooms,” said Zeph Capo, president of Texas AFT. “Though we are urging House lawmakers to accept the compromise, we also must remind the entire Legislature that a one-time investment is not enough. Since 2019, we’ve seen what happens when the state makes a major investment in schools but does not return each session thereafter to build on that foundation. Targeted, directed allotments are a novel approach, and we hope the Legislature continues to fund them in future sessions. This must be the start of a longer conversation about what our students, educators, and schools truly need to thrive.”
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Texas AFT represents 66,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel, and higher-education employees across the state. Texas AFT is affiliated with the 1.8-million-member American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO.