Godley ISD outlines budget options after House Bill 2, proposes raises and delays final tax decision

Spencer, a district finance staff member, briefed the Godley Independent School District Board of Trustees on the effects of House Bill 2 and how the district plans to handle 2025–26 salary increases and the budget.

Spencer said HB2 was signed into law by Governor Abbott on June 4 and that district officials are still awaiting detailed guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on several implementation points that affect pay and funding. Because of that outstanding guidance, Spencer recommended the board consider adopting some budget items later in the summer rather than at the June meeting.

The presentation focused first on teacher pay changes created by HB2. Spencer said the law creates a teacher retention allotment that, as written, gives classroom teachers with three to four years of service $4,000 and those with five or more years $8,000. The district estimates roughly 240 classroom teachers could be affected; nonadministrative support staff were estimated at about 130–145 employees. "If we plan for 240 teachers to receive the $8,000 raise, but we only get funding for 200 of those, we're on the hook for that other 40 teachers," Spencer said, underscoring the district's caution pending TEA classification rules for who qualifies as a "classroom teacher."

Spencer explained…