Lake Dallas ISD reviews HB 2 changes on teacher pay, support staff allotments and school safety funding

Lake Dallas Independent School District officials on June 16 reviewed major changes in state education law, focusing on House Bill 2 and related allotments that take effect over the next two school years.

Dr. Kristen Brown told the board HB 2 "has already been signed by the governor. That is the biggest bill for this session," and said the district is preparing to apply for the teacher incentive allotment and other new funding streams. The district is pursuing initial approval for the teacher incentive allotment so it can later access what the Texas Education Agency calls the "enhanced TIA," which will allow performance-based pay and some principal compensation from that allotment.

Why it matters: HB 2 changes how state funding reaches districts and creates new reporting and program obligations. Lake Dallas ISD staff said some new funding will be available in 2025–26 and more will phase in during 2026–27, affecting payroll planning, curriculum and special education compliance.

Key details summarized to trustees included: - Teacher retention allotment: Dr. Brown said the state will fund raises of $4,000 per year for teachers with three to four years’ experience and $8,000 for teachers with five or more years; she said that allotment represents roughly $1.7 million for about 50% of the district’s staff. "The amount that the teachers receive must be included in their salary, and it must be reported to TRS as creditable salary for retirement purposes," Brown said. - Support-staff allotment: The state provides $45 per ADA for nonadministrator staff (examples given: teacher aides, counselors, custodians, nurses). Brown said that $45 works out to about $130,000 for Lake Dallas ISD. - Early childhood and pre-K changes: Brown said the state did not fully create a new pre-K pot of money but instead reallocated the existing early childhood allotment so full-day pre-K programs are funded at the full-day rate; districts will need to follow TEA guidance on flow-through requirements for partnerships with child-care centers. - Early literacy and intervention: A new early reading intervention allotment pays $250 per eligible student with a 10% district cap; Brown said districts will be required to continue interventions beyond 2029–30 even if state funding is taken back. - Facilities reporting: Districts must now report square footage, capacity, usage and ownership/lease status annually to TEA for a statewide facilities report. - Bilingual and special education changes: Brown said methods were expanded so bilingual funds may now be used for bilingual teacher salaries and that special-education funding will increase (including $1,000 per full initial IEP evaluation and an increased CCMR bonus for special education students). - Teacher certification and preparation: HB 2 limits use of uncertified teachers in core courses (phased in by year) and funds teacher-preparation and residency programs; districts will no longer be able to rely on some District of Innovation flexibilities to hire uncertified teachers in those core areas. - Discipline and classroom removal changes: Brown summarized statutory changes that allow teachers to remove persistently disruptive students without the previous committee review, require parent notification and a reintegration plan, and permit appeal to a placement review committee or threat-assessment team.

District staff said many details await formal TEA guidance. "A lot of these things, we don't know the how it will happen yet. TEA will provide us with guidance as to what that looks like, hopefully sooner rather than later," Brown said. She urged the board that some items will affect pay structures, reporting, and required compliance training and will be phased in across 2025–26 and 2026–27.

Ending note: Brown said the legislative packet provided to trustees contains more than 60 pages of pending bills and highlighted the district will return with more detailed workshops when TEA issues guidance or when additional bills receive gubernatorial action.