Texas educators given pay raises of $3,800 or $5,200

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released a report Friday, showing significant pay raises for Texas teachers for the 2019-2020 academic year as a result of House Bill 3 (HB 3).

Texas teachers who have more than five 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.

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 Abbott. "When Texas students graduate, we want them to receive more than a diploma, but also the knowledge and skills they need to excel in college or a career. Thank you to Chairman Larry Taylor and Chairman Dan Huberty for leading the way on this critical issue, and thank you to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dennis Bonnen, and members of the Legislature who supported this bill. Their work is delivering meaningful results for Texas students and teachers, and helping our state recruit and retain the very best educators. The State of Texas will continue to enhance our education system and provide a quality education for every Texas student, regardless of zip code."

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 pre-kindergarten through third grade be trained on science-based reading instruction by 2021.

"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.

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 eight 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.

The video in the post is from a previous story.