25 days remain in the 87th Regular Legislative Session.

Earlier this week, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar provided an update to his original Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) from January, and his update delivered good news to those working to finalize the state budget. He is even more cautiously optimistic about the growth of the Texas economy and reported several encouraging trends.

Texas will close the current biennium with a $725 surplus rather than the $1 billion deficit previously projected. Hegar also increased the amount of funding expected to be available for the 2022-23 budget by $3 billion.

The revised estimate doesn’t take into account all of the federal funding sent to Texas over the past year by Congress through pandemic relief packages.  

So what does this mean for schools? For one, it provides the assurance that the state can definitely afford to honor the commitments made to schools and property taxpayers in HB 3. It probably does not increase the likelihood that lawmakers will spend additional state funds on schools, as that would affect the proportionality of state spending and have implications for the maintenance of effort provisions for the federal funding that relate to higher education.  

The revised estimate gives budget writers a little breathing room though, and offers the assurance that the state can afford the Maintenance of Effort requirements associated with the sources of federal funding--without the need to supplant the ESSER II funding for schools to get there. But for now, we’ll still have to wait to learn how, how much, and when ESSER II funds will be distributed.

Links to the docs from the revised BRE from the Comptroller:

The House Public Education Committee will meet this morning in a formal hearing to consider pending business (formal hearings are not broadcast). They will specifically hear HB 547 (Frank), would allow homeschooled students to participate in school district UIL activities, as it had to be recommitted to the committee due to a procedural error.

The House convenes at 10:00 a.m. today. On today's calendar you will find:

The Senate Education Committee will meet this morning, beginning at 9:00 a.m. They will meet until the Senate convenes at 10:00 a.m., and then likely need to complete the hearing later in the day once the Senate adjourns in order to hear the following bills:

You can view the hearing live here.

Some of the bills the Senate could hear today include:

The two bills related to the extension/reauthorization of Chapter 313 of the Tax Code are both scheduled to be debated by the Texas House on Friday, May 7. If these bills are of interest and would possibly benefit your district and community, please let your local legislator(s) know.

CSHB 1556 by Chairman Jim Murphy (R-Houston) would reauthorize Chapter 313 for 10 years, allow school district local control to negotiate agreements in the best interest of the community, to include payments to the district for up to 38% of the total M&O tax benefit outside the school finance formulas. 100% of I&S taxes would still be paid. All existing agreements signed before the effective date of the bill would be unchanged. Also, school districts could enter into agreements for modernization of projects, not just new projects. You can read more info on that bill here.

CSHB 4242 by Chairman Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas) would extend the program in current law for a period of two years.

In May of a legislative session deadlines matter--especially in the Texas House, and sometimes even in the Senate. Monday, May 10, is the last day for a House bill to be reported out of the House. There are only four possible House calendars on which a bill could be scheduled at this point. While House members will work long hours on the House floor working through the list of bills, there are many that simply won't make it--victims of the clock and calendar. Thursday, May 13, is the final day when a House bill that was fortunate enough to be reported out and make it on a calendar can possibly pass on 2nd reading. Those that don't make it...well, they won't make it.

We're planning our first in-person gathering in over a year and we hope you will participate (either in-person or through our hybrid virtual option). Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, June 9, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. in Dallas at the DoubleTree by Dallas Love Field.

You can register via the link below to attend in person and also find the info you need to make hotel reservations for a discounted rate if you plan to stay overnight.

If you are not able to join us in person, but still want to join in on the fun, please click on the button below to register and attend virtually via Zoom.