Legislative Roundup: May 15

The 86th Texas Legislature will be in session from January 8 through May 27. It meets biennially, and the budget that the Texas Legislature sets is in place for two years.

The Senate passed its version of House Bill 3 with 40 amendments to the version passed by the House. Now, House Bill 3 has moved to a conference committee that includes five Senators and five House members who will negotiate the details of the final bill.

Among some of the most controversial amendments are: providing bonuses to schools based on third-grade STAAR scores, providing merit pay for “top-rated” teachers, and including additional reading/writing components to STAAR tests for grades 3-8 to create a language arts test.

The members of the conference committee are:

• State Representatives: Dan Huberty (R-Humble), Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin), Ken King (R-Canadian), and Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint)
• State Senators: Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), Royce West (D-Dallas), Kirk Watson (D-Austin), and Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels)

For more information:

• Side-by-Side Comparison of 2019 Texas School Finance Proposals (updated 5/10/2019)
• State of Texas: School finance negotiations begin with optimism
• Senate Passes School Finance Bill on a Vote of 26-2

Make sure to see the Klein Leadership Coalition Website for additional resources.

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About Klein ISD
Klein ISD is a school district in Klein, Texas, located in northwestern Harris County. The district spans approximately 88 square miles and serves more than 53,000 students in 33 elementary schools, 10 intermediate campuses, one high school program of choice, and 5 high schools.

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