Session brings teacher raises, cell phone ban, Ten Commandments posters, DEI restrictions, and stricter discipline rules
The 2025 legislative session reshaped public education in Texas, delivering a mix of funding increases, cultural mandates, and new rules for teachers, students, and administrators.
Teacher pay and funding changes
Lawmakers approved an $8.5 billion boost to the state’s education budget after years of stagnant funding. House Bill 2 establishes a permanent teacher pay raise system: educators in smaller districts will see raises of $4,000 to $8,000 depending on experience, while those in larger districts will receive $2,500 to $5,000.
The bill also expands the Teacher Incentive Allotment, ties special education funding to individual student needs, and gives districts $1,000 for each disability evaluation they conduct.
Cell phones banned in classrooms
House Bill 1481 prohibits students from using personal devices during school hours. Districts must establish discipline policies, though they have flexibility in enforcement. Supporters argue the change will reduce distractions and bullying, while critics worry it limits student-parent communication. Students may still use phones outside of school hours.
Religion in schools
Senate Bill 10 requires classrooms to display 16-by-20-inch posters of the Ten Commandments if donated. ACLU-backed lawsuits are already challenging the measure, citing church-state concerns. Another measure, Senate Bill 11, allows schools to set aside time for prayer or reading religious texts, though public prayers over intercoms remain banned without parental consent.
DEI ban extended
Senate Bill 12 eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in K-12 schools, building on a 2023 ban affecting universities. It bars schools from using race, gender identity, or sexual orientation in hiring and training, and prohibits student clubs centered on those identities. Civil rights groups are preparing constitutional challenges.
Libraries and discipline
Senate Bill 13 expands parental and school board authority to remove “indecent or profane” materials from libraries. Critics fear it will accelerate book bans, which already totaled 540 removals in 2023–24.
House Bill 6 loosens restrictions on student discipline, allowing longer in-school suspensions, broader use of out-of-school suspensions, and more discretion in assigning students to alternative education programs.
Updated August 23, 2026 to reflect substantive changes.
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