Gov. Abbott, TEA issue report showing teacher pay raises for 2019-2020 school year
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency released a report Thursday showing significant pay raises for Texas teachers for the 2019-2020 academic year as a result of House Bill 3 (HB 3).
Statewide, Texas teachers who have more than 5 years of experience received an average pay raise of over $5,200, while teachers who have been working up to five years received an average pay raise of more than $3,800.
It is worth noting that the pay increases are averages of all teacher raises in Texas; individual raises vary.
The pay raises are part of a $1.1 billion annual investment in additional compensation that started last year for Texas teachers, counselors, librarians, and school nurses.
"Thanks to the historic legislation we passed last session, Texas teachers are already seeing a significant increase in their pay," said Governor Abbott.
"As Lt. Governor, I promised teachers a pay raise and in 2019 I made it my top priority to invest $4 billion to raise teacher pay and ensure that teaching is treated as a profession, not a job. It was a tough fight but I delivered on my promise. Aside from a parent, nothing has more impact on the future success of a child than a teacher. Going forward, these pay raises will also help Texas continue to recruit the best and the brightest teachers anywhere," said Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
These pay raises are a result of HB 3, which the Governor signed into law during the 86th Legislative Session. HB 3 created an incentive pay program for teachers to be on a path to reach six-figure salaries, added career, college, and military readiness bonuses for school districts, funded full-day prekindergarten for students in poverty, and required all elementary school principals and teachers in kindergarten through third grade be trained on science-based reading instruction by 2021.
The bill also created a student-focused formula structure, where the needs of a child – not the child’s zip code – determine funding allocation. Additionally, the bill buys down property tax rates by an average of 8 cents in 2020 and implements a 2.5% property tax cap starting in 2021, which will result in a cumulative average tax rate reduction of 12 cents this biennium. HB 3 provided an increase of $2.7 billion in annual net funding for public education and school district budgets.
A link to each Local Education Agency's (LEAs) report to the Legislature can be found on the TEA website.
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