Spring ISD staff outline which pending state bills could reshape 2025–26 budget

Spring Independent School District leaders told the school board on March 25 that several pending Texas bills could materially affect the district's 2025–26 budget, including proposals on the basic allotment, special education funding, teacher pay requirements and homestead exemptions.

At a finance-focused meeting, Miss Westbrooks, a Spring ISD staff member who led the legislative overview, said House Bill 2 would raise the basic allotment from $6,160 to $6,380 — a $220 increase — but does not include a dedicated inflation adjustment. "There is no inflation adjustment that's included," Westbrooks said, adding that without an inflation adjustment districts that do not grow enrollment can see flat revenue even after raises are granted.

Why it matters: changes to the basic allotment and the distribution rules tied to it determine how much new state money flows to Spring ISD and how much must be spent on compensation. Westbrooks said current law requires 30% of basic allotment increases to be used for compensation and that HB2 proposes to raise that to 40%. She also described ongoing work at the Legislature on a special education funding model that would establish eight tiers to better reflect intensity of services and narrow an…