Bill > SB40

This bill proposes several key changes to the public school finance system in Texas: 1. It increases the basic allotment per student from $6,160 to $7,365, and requires this amount to be adjusted annually for inflation starting in the 2024-2025 school year. 2. It revises the funding formulas for special education by establishing a service-based intensity funding model with seven tiers of intensity, replacing the previous weighted system. It also adds new allotments for special education full individual and initial evaluations, and for special education transition funding during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. 3. It creates a new mental health allotment to support comprehensive school mental health systems, and increases the school safety allotment from $10 to $100 per student. 4. It requires school districts to provide paid parental leave for eligible full-time employees, and establishes a "healthy families allotment" to reimburse districts for the cost of this leave. 5. It expands access to free, full-day pre-kindergarten programs by requiring districts to offer them to any four-year-old child, regardless of eligibility criteria. Overall, this bill aims to significantly increase funding and support for public schools in Texas, particularly in the areas of special education, mental health, school safety, parental leave, and early childhood education.

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=883&Bill=SB40