EL PASO ISD hears Region 19 briefing on 89th Legislature: HB 2 adds $8.5 billion, major changes for special education, teacher pay and discipline

EL PASO — El Paso ISD trustees received a July 29 briefing from Education Service Center Region 19 on legislation enacted by the 89th Texas Legislature, including House Bill 2, which the presenters said added about $8.5 billion to school funding and contains multiple new requirements districts must implement for the 2025–26 school year.

Region 19 professional development consultant Rachel Grama Anderson and assistant director Eduardo Inojos told the board that HB 2 is an omnibus public education and school finance bill covering basic allotments, teacher compensation, early education, school safety and special education. "It added $8,500,000,000 in new funding," Grama Anderson said during the presentation, and she noted TEA rulemaking is expected before Sept. 1, 2025, to translate statute into enforceable agency rules.

The presentation summarized the funding and program changes trustees will need to address. Key finance and personnel items described included:

- Teacher retention allotment (TRA): Grama Anderson said small districts (fewer than 5,000 students) are allocated $4,000 raises for teachers with three to under five years' experience and $8,000 for teachers with five or more years; large districts (more than 5,000 students) are allocated $2,500 and $5,000 respectively. Presenters said districts must update 2025–26 salary schedules to reflect the TRA.

- Support staff retention allotment (SSRA): Districts will receive $45 per student to boost pay for paraprofessionals, bus drivers and cafeteria staff; presenters said the SSRA does not apply to campus or district administrators and contains an annual requirement to maintain the increase…