The decision to end in-state tuition for undocumented students in Texas is part of an ongoing attack on immigrants in the state, a youth advocate said Thursday.

“This decision struck me as patently unjust and clearly discriminatory,� said Lexy Garcia, program manager for . The statewide initiative has more than 20 chapters at colleges and universities, including UT Austin, Texas State University and St. Edwards University.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday challenged a 2001 Texas law allowing undocumented students who met certain criteria to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. A federal judge blocked the law, and .

“The Justice Department commends Texas leadership and AG Ken Paxton for swiftly working with us to halt a program that was treating Americans like second-class citizens in their own country," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a .

But, to Garcia, this decision is not about justice � it’s about exclusion.

“These universities now are going to be cost prohibitive to people who are meeting all of these requirements and simply are seeking an education in our state,� Garcia said.

Linda Corchado, the senior director of immigration for , said the end of this long-standing law is not only gutting, but it will also hurt the state’s economy. She said in 2022, there were 57,000 undocumented students in Texas who contributed $81.6 million in tuition fees at public colleges and universities.

“Research shows that repealing in-state tuition would have severe economic consequences, with Texas losing $461 million annually in economic activity,� she said.

KUT reached out to UT Austin, Texas State and Austin Community College to try to determine how many of their students may be affected by this change. They were unable to immediately provide this information.

“We’re aware of yesterday’s ruling and will comply with all federal and state laws. We are in contact with The Texas State University System for guidance,� a TXST spokesperson said.

The cost of college differs significantly for in-state students versus out-of-state and international students at Texas State and UT Austin. In-state tuition and fees for residents at Texas State during the 2024-25 school year was $12,220. For nonresidents it was $24,520.

Meanwhile, at UT Austin, in-state tuition for undergraduates ranged from $10,858 to $13,576. For nonresidents, the cost of tuition and fees was between $40,582 and $48,712.

Daniel Ramirez, a UT Austin student who advocates for immigrant rights on campus as part of Students for a Democratic Society, said preventing undocumented students from paying in-state tuition rates is a “tragedy.� He said a lot of undocumented students are already working while attending college to afford it.

“And in typical immigrant fashion they’re working really, really hard for the bread crumbs that our society and our state is giving them,� he said.

Ramirez said he expects the policy change to affect the climate on campus this fall. So does Arshia Papari, who is also part of Students for a Democratic Society.

“I think this will definitely hurt a lot of students at UT Austin,� he said. “It will drastically reduce the enrollment of undocumented students not only at UT Austin, but across the state.�

Corchado said that while the odds are stacked against people who would like to see this decision overturned, students and advocates should not lose hope.

“This is not the time for us to give up on protecting undocumented students in the State of Texas,� she said.

Rose's family in China had to work hard for her to study in the U.S. Her dad moved to a rat-infested apartment in another city just so the family could save money for her tuition and expenses.

The Chinese national wanted to study here because "people are free to say what they wanna say," she said, “which is not completely the case now.�

Rose is a PhD student at UT Austin. KUT News has changed her name and withheld details about her major because she fears retaliation.

In April, the Trump administration revoked the legal status of thousands of international students nationwide, including hundreds in Texas and multiple students at UT Austin.

Rose said she was scared and confused, but mainly shocked. The lack of information about why the federal government was revoking certain visas and not others made her feel uneasy.

According to the from the Department of Homeland Security, Texas has the fourth highest number of international students after California, New York and Massachusetts. Of the more than enrolled at UT Austin during the 2024-2025 school year, almost half are from India and China.

Rose is not the only one who feels concerned. Vincent is a first-year PhD student from India, whose name KUT has also changed. While he and his international friends haven’t been directly affected by visa revocations, he said, they are feeling the effects. Most of them decided to stay in the U.S. over the summer.

Both Vincent and Rose said their academic advisers recommended they not leave the country.

“They gave me a very concerned look, and they were like, ‘OK ... it might not be a very good idea to travel at this point,'" said Vincent, who canceled plans to go home to see his family over the summer.

With so much uncertainty, Vincent said, some advisers fear international students might not be allowed back into the U.S. He said if PhD students are stuck in another country or deported, years of research could be impacted.

KUT reached out to UT Austin for comment, but has not heard back.

Vincent said he doesn’t feel good about what’s happening, but he’s trying to stay positive.

“I feel like as long as I keep a low profile, do the work that I'm here to do, I guess, I should be OK,� he said. For him that means not posting on social media and definitely not attending protests of any kind.

He also said he feels students from other countries, like China, are in more danger than him.

Last week, the federal government said it would from Chinese students. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government would also enhance scrutiny for all future visa applications from Chinese and Hong Kong nationals.

Rose said she doesn’t understand it.

“I think most Chinese students who study in the U.S. are like the brightest people that I know,� she said.

During 2023, Chinese students also contributed more than to the U.S. economy.

“I just don't know how this could do any good to the country, to be honest," Rose said.

The State Department also announced last week it had for foreign students. It said the measure is temporary while the U.S. prepares to expand screening applicants' activity on social media.

The for people looking to study outside their home countries. For international students who are already here, the path is uncertain.

“It happened so quickly, and I don't know who it’s gonna affect and what I'm gonna do,� said Rose, who still has a few years left to finish her PhD. “It's like in World War II: At first it's the Jewish people, and then it's Germans, and then [the] French and then it's everyone. So, I don't want to be a standby. I see a trend and I'm worried about that trend.�

Texas public schools are about to see a major cash infusion. Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed an $8.5 billion funding bill that delivers sweeping investments in teacher pay, early learning and campus security.

"Texas should be number one in educating our children," Abbott said. "The foundation is now in place for Texas education to begin the upward climb."

House Bill 2, one of the most closely watched bills of this year's legislative session, includes a historic $4.2 billion for teacher and school staff raises. The new law will dedicate nearly $2 billion to revamping the state's special education system and expanding access to full-day pre-K and early learning interventions, along with career and technical education programs. Another $430 million is set aside for school safety upgrades.

Most of the law takes effect in September, with some provisions starting next year.

During his address in February, Abbott named teacher pay raises an emergency legislative priority. Thus began months of between the Texas House and Senate over HB 2, which underwent significant revisions before finally shortly before the session ended earlier this week.

The law will also raise the state's basic allotment, the base amount schools receive per student, by $55. While the House initially proposed a $395 increase, that figure was scaled back during negotiations. Still, it's the first boost to the allotment since 2019.

HB 2 was pushed forward alongside Senate Bill 2, a measure that will create a statewide school voucher program. This will allow parents to use state tax dollars toward costs associated with educating their children outside of Texas' public school system � including private school tuition and homeschool expenses. The governor signed SB 2 into law last month; the voucher program is expected to launch in 2026.

On Wednesday, Abbott was joined by lawmakers and public school educators, including Temple ISD teacher JoMeka Gray, who was recently named for 2025 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. Gray praised HB 2, adding that it "makes a powerful commitment to the future of the teaching profession."

"This allows more teachers to focus entirely on teaching, without the constant worry of earning a liveable wage, and keeps our most effective teachers in the classroom," Gray said. "This legislation touches the lives of 5.5 million students enrolled in Texas public schools."

Copyright 2025 KERA

Texas has ended its decades-long policy of extending in-state tuition to students without legal status.

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday the state had filed a joint motion with the U.S. Department of Justice asking a federal court to declare a section of the Texas Education Code "unconstitutional and invalid" and permanently block the state from enforcing it. A judge agreed.

"Ending this discriminatory and un-American provision is a major victory for Texas," Paxton said in a statement.

The order came after the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday to stop Texas from giving in-state tuition to immigrant students without legal status.

In a news release, the department said Texas unconstitutionally discriminates against U.S. citizens who aren't afforded the same privileges.

"The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in the statement.

Texas, the complaint reads, allows students "who are not lawfully present in the United States to qualify for reduced tuition at public state colleges, even as U.S. citizens from other states must pay higher tuition rates."

DOJ said the policy conflicts with federal law. In 2001 Texas became the first state to pass a law allowing students without legal status to receive in-state tuition if they meet certain requirements. Twenty-four states , according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.

Dallas activist and DACA recipient Ramiro Luna told KERA he's "deeply disappointed" in the DOJ and said the complaint is an infringement on states' rights.

"I understand the opportunity that education has provided me," he said. "We're cutting at the kneecaps, you know, young bright students from pursuing their dreams, and those dreams are going to be something that's going to feed into our state and the country as a whole."

Democratic state Rep. Ramón Romero of Fort Worth said it's "shameful" for the Trump administration to "[attack] Texas students who grew up in Texas, graduated from high school in Texas, and call this state home.

"Targeting them does nothing to make our country stronger," he wrote.

The lawsuit, filed in the Wichita Falls division of the Northern District of Texas, is part of the Trump administration's larger effort clamping down on illegal immigration and tightening immigration policies.

President Donald Trump recently signed two executive orders targeting immigrants without legal status, including one that ensures "no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens," and another barring "laws, regulations, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens."

In a , Gov. Greg Abbott shared Judge Reed O'Connor's order, writing that "In-state tuition for illegal immigrants in Texas has ended."

There were about 57,000 students without legal status enrolled in Texas colleges and universities in 2022, according to a .

The state Senate this session that would have ended in-state tuition for students without legal status, but the legislation failed to get out of the chamber.

Bill Zeeble is KERA's education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at [email protected]. You can follow him on X .

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider . Thank you.

Copyright 2025 KERA

A bill that would give Texas parents and school boards significant power over deciding what books are permitted in their kids� public school libraries is now awaiting a final nod from Gov. Greg Abbott.

The controversial measure, , was authored by McKinney Republican Sen. Angela Paxton. The legislation was officially sent to Abbott’s desk Tuesday after the House and Senate approved a final version of the legislation over the weekend.

SB 13 creates a process for books to be challenged and removed from circulation. The legislation gives school boards the authority to supersede librarians� decisions on which material is permitted in campus libraries.

Under the bill, school boards would be responsible for creating district-specific policies around what books may be removed or added to their catalogs. The measure also allows school boards to establish library advisory councils to handle the job. The councils � which would be made up of members appointed by the school board � must consist of a majority of parents from the district, but can also include people unaffiliated with the school.

The legislation also allows parents to submit a list of books their children are specifically prohibited from checking out at school.

Supporters of the change, like Salado Republican Rep. Brad Buckley, have said it will keep inappropriate books out of students' hands.

“SB 13 understands that too often and for too long our libraries have been filled with agendas. And it’s time to end that,� Buckley said during debate on the measure. “But the way to end it is to empower our local leaders � and our parents, locally � to find some resolution.�

“I am one of those parents,� said Rep. Hillary Hickland, a Republican from Belton, adding she was "appalled" when she saw some of “what our children are exposed to � wicked, vile filth. � It’s fair to say that trust has been broken between parents and public schools.�

Opponents of the legislation say SB 13 is an “overreach� that could create barriers to learning.

That's how Rep. Vicky Goodwin, an Austin Democrat, put it when she urged her fellow lawmakers to vote against the measure earlier this session.

“We do need to protect our kids from pornography and inappropriate content,� she said, while adding that the authority to make those calls should be kept with education and library professionals.

“Our local school districts have [already] created their own book policies,� she said.

Houston Democratic Rep. Jolanda Jones has taken issue with the bill allowing some non-parents to serve on advisory councils.

“SB 13 gives a handpicked group of people on a district-wide council the power to cancel culture, censor curiosity, and control what every kid can read � even if they don’t represent the whole district,� Jones said.

Though the chambers had disagreements around some details in SB 13, they were ultimately able to work them out , ultimately sending the measure to Gov. Abbott.

Unless Abbott chooses to veto the bill, it will become law and go into effect next school year.

The Texas Newsroom's Blaise Gainey contributed additional reporting to this story.

The gym buzzed with activity in late May, just days before the school year ended. Students, school staff and community members gathered to celebrate the beginning of construction projects aimed at modernizing the East Austin campus. One of those projects is creating a mental health center at the school.

"We feel like it's really important to provide this therapeutic support directly within the school settings where students are," said Amanda Toohey, Austin ISD’s administrative supervisor for mental health and crisis management.

Principal Edna Cortinas described the upcoming renovations as a “new chapter� for the school.

“I’m really excited because it’s a long time coming,� she said. “It’s a small school, but I like to say it’s a diamond in the rough.�

Austin ISD is spending over $61 million from the $2.44 billion school bond package voters approved in 2022 at Martin. Bond dollars must be spent on capital projects, such as building new schools. Austin ISD, which is facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, can’t use those funds for its operating costs, including staff salaries.

The millions allocated for Martin, where more than is considered economically disadvantaged, will pay for things like electrical and plumbing improvements, a secure entry vestibule to increase school safety and new electronic devices for students and employees.

The new mental health center is one of more than 50 similar spaces that are being established on Austin ISD campuses as part of the 2022 bond.

“It’s really important that we think about those spaces in every one of our schools,� Superintendent Matias Segura told reporters last week. “In some cases, it’s a retrofit or a renovation over the summer. In some cases, we can build it into a larger project.�

A from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found youth mental health has worsened over the last 10 years. The report also noted schools have an important role to play when it comes to addressing this issue because they can reach many kids.

Toohey said the new mental health spaces are being designed to complement the work counselors are already doing.

“The spaces are intended to offer a safe, calm and developmentally appropriate environment to enhance the effectiveness of the counseling and therapeutic process,� she said.

Toohey said that, while there are already some mental health centers at AISD schools, the district has had the chance to put more thought and intention into the new ones.

She added that it’s important to have dedicated mental health spaces at schools, because it removes barriers students might face when trying to get help, such as the cost of services or access to transportation.

“When we’re able to meet the students� mental health needs where they are, we’re...ensuring that we have more equitable access to the services, but we’re also overall improving academic outcomes,� she said. “When students feel safe and supported and emotionally well overall, they’re going to be better equipped to engage in learning and succeed in school.�

Martin’s modernized campus is slated to open in fall 2027.

After nearly five months meeting in Austin, the Texas Legislature wrapped up its 89th session on Monday.

Once again, education was a huge topic at the statehouse this year. From passing a billion dollar school voucher plan to a sweeping school funding bill, lawmakers made some big moves that will affect public education in Texas for years to come.

But there were also many other consequential education-related bills lawmakers passed in addition to the marquee legislation. Barring a veto from Gov. Greg Abbott, these will soon become law in Texas.

Here’s a breakdown of some of those measures.

Senate Bill 568 - Increasing special education funding

creates a new system that ties special education funding directly to the intensity of services students require.

The bill also adds a $125 million investment for staffing and expands support for transportation of special education students.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, authored the bill and says the goal is to ensure equitable support for students with disabilities statewide.

“I could go on and on but that is the key thing: you wanna be able to get evaluations for special needs children early on so there can be early intervention,� Bettencourt said.

The measure passed out of both chambers unanimously and now heads to the governor's desk for final approval.

If signed, this would impact more than 700,000 Texas students receiving special education services.

� Lucio Vasquez, The Texas Newsroom

Senate Bill 13 - More oversight for school libraries

Over the weekend, the Texas Legislature gave a final sendoff to the governor’s desk.

The proposal, introduced by McKinney Republican Sen. Angela Paxton, would empower school boards to in their school libraries. It would also allow parents to submit a list of books their children are prohibited from checking out.

Supporters say it’ll keep inappropriate books out of kids' hands. But Rep. Vikki Goodwin, an Austin Democrat, voted against the bill, saying it could “break and dismantle� libraries in their communities.

“We do need to protect our kids from pornography and inappropriate content. But this bill is overreach and unnecessary,� Goodwin said. “Our local school districts have created their own book policies.�

Though the chambers had some disagreements around SB 13, they were ultimately able to work them out in a conference committee.

Unless Abbott vetoes the measure, it would go into effect next school year.

� Nina Banks, The Texas Newsroom

Senate Bill 12 - Ban on diversity, equity and inclusion in K-12 schools

Sen. Brandon Creighton, who authored , calls it a “parental rights bill,� giving parents more .

It bans DEI in hiring decisions, training and duties and prohibits student groups centered around sexual orientation or gender identity.

House Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley, a Republican from Killeen, says the bill lets kids be kids, adding that “they have way more in common than they have in differences.�

“We want to return that so that children can gather together in things that are community minded where they can share experiences together throughout their school year,� Buckley said.

Opponents, including North Texas Rep. Chris Turner, say SB 12 targets Black and Latino kids, and bans school groups like the Gay-Straight Alliance, all with approval from the state.

“That same government is going to say to high school kids ‘you cannot be in a club with people like you. Think how wrong that is,� Turner said.

SB 12 now heads to the governor for his signature. Unless Abbott vetoes the bill, which seems unlikely, the law will take effect Sept. 1.

� Bill Zeeble, KERA News

House Bill 1481 - Limits on personal communication devices in school

bans K-12 students from using cellphones in school. The policy also requires schools to have disciplinary actions set up for students who break the rules.

Rep. Caroline Fairly, an Amarillo Republican, authored the bill. She said she wanted to create a distraction free environment for students in the state’s public schools.

When Fairly introduced the bill for its second reading, emphasized that the policy still gives schools flexibility.

“HB 1481, it is a bill that prohibits smart devices from being out during school hours while also maintaining local control,� Fairly told members of the chamber.

That local control means that, under the law, school districts can decide where students can store their phones while in class. Options include secure pouches, lockers, charging stations or backpacks.

The bill had bipartisan support from lawmakers, but critics have voiced concerns about student safety. They have argued that, in an emergency, students should be able to access their phones to call for help.

The bill is on the way to the governor’s desk.

If approved, the law would go into effect Sept. 1, paving the way for Texas to join several other states that already have similar policies, including California, Florida, Minnesota, Ohio and Louisiana.

� Sarah Asch, Texas Standard

A legislative effort to scrap the STAAR test to respond to concerns that the test puts unnecessary pressure on students died in the last days of the legislative session.

House Bill 4, authored by state Rep. , would have swapped the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test for three shorter tests given throughout the school year.

The Senate and House failed to come out of closed-door negotiations with a compromise in time, missing a key legislative deadline this weekend.

Legislators in the House and Senate agreed that Texas schools needed to do away with the STAAR test. But in the end, the two chambers could not close the gulf over what they wanted to see out of the new test and from the A-F ratings system, which uses standardized test results to grade schools� performance.

Tensions had come to a head in recent years when a dispute over how ratings should be calculated led to two years of scores to be held up in court.

The Senate wanted to solidify the Texas Education Agency commissioner’s authority to set stricter standards for the ratings system. And to discourage schools from taking legal action again, the upper chamber’s version of the bill gave the TEA commissioner authority to appoint a conservator to districts that initiate lawsuits.

The House version, meanwhile, required the TEA to get approval from the Legislature before making major changes to the ratings system. And it left an avenue for districts to sue to challenge the TEA in the future, while setting up a fast-track court process so those lawsuits would not halt the release of the ratings.

The two chambers also differed over whether to keep or do away with a mandatory social studies test, with the House in favor of less testing.

The session started with nearly identical versions of the legislation in the House and Senate, but when senators slammed school districts in committee hearings and on the chamber floor for participating in the recent lawsuits, few superintendents came out to testify in front of the Senate Education Committee. Instead, the school leaders were in talks with House representatives about their lack of trust in the state’s accountability and testing systems.

The House’s rewrite of the legislation to reflect school leaders� concerns eventually came late in the session, leaving little time for negotiations between the chambers to reach a compromise.

To the Texas State Teachers Association, the current high-stakes STAAR test takes instructional time away from the classroom and is not an accurate measure of student success. But the group was holding its breath when the two chambers were in closed-door negotiations.

“We think we are better off that there is no bill at all than what the Senate wanted to do,� said Clay Robison, a spokesperson for the group. “We thought the Senate gave far too much authority to the unelected state commissioner.�

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Texas State Teachers Association has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete .

Texas colleges could soon pay student athletes directly for the first time.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would allow colleges to enter directly into what are called “name, image and likeness� agreements with athletes. Currently, only outside entities, like national advertisers or athletic boosters, can do so.

“The Senate saved college sports in Texas,� Lt. Gov. said jokingly afterward.

The Senate was supposed to consider on Sunday but delayed after senators complained they hadn’t been fully briefed on the issue. Some then hopped on a call with college coaches across the state, who emphasized they needed the legislation to disperse millions of dollars as part of a court settlement that is expected to be finalized in the fall and to be able to effectively recruit top talent.

“Had they only informed everyone in the Senate a few weeks ago what was happening, we would have passed it the first time,� Patrick said, “but everyone’s kind of learned their lesson. It’s good to talk to senators when you want their vote. � Here’s to winning in Texas.�

Sen. , a Conroe Republican sponsoring the legislation in the upper chamber, agreed on Tuesday to limit the deal making to athletes 17 or older after hearing concerns from his Democratic colleagues that younger athletes might be taken advantage of. The student athletes would not receive payments from the university until after they are enrolled and participating in their sports program.

“I hope this amendment addresses some of the primary concerns that we talked about two nights ago and ensures that the guardrails are there for a level playing field for our young athletes,� Creighton said.

Creighton, who authored Texas� existing NIL law, said student athletes would still be prohibited from entering into agreements with sexually-oriented businesses or alcohol or tobacco companies. They’d also still be required to take a financial literacy course.

The proposal comes after several high-profile lawsuits against the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or the NCAA, challenging its restrictions on compensation.

Last year, the NCAA agreed to settle one of these cases by paying back $2.8 billion to athletes who had participated in Division I sports since 2016.

A judge is expected to approve the settlement and the NCAA is supposed to change its rules soon, which is why the Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University systems have publicly pushed state lawmakers to act. They say without this bill, Texas talent will go to other states.

The NCAA is expected to cap the total amount all universities can pay their athletes annually at $20.5 million. Creighton said during a Senate education committee earlier this month that smaller universities can make strategic investments below the cap to recruit for their sports programs. He said he hoped a federal law on this issue would pass, otherwise courts could require schools to pay even more or treat their athletes as employees.

Democrat Sens. of Houston and of San Antonio focused more on the students� wellbeing than the schools�.

West asked if universities were notifying those who played for them in recent years that they could receive a portion of that billion-dollar settlement. The Texas A&M University System said it was.

Menéndez pointed out that universities in Division I sports generate billions of dollars in revenue a year while less than 2% of student athletes go pro.

“Why should these athletes not be able to share some of the gain or the resources that their families could desperately need?� he said.

After the House approved the Senate's changes with a 110-25 vote on Thursday, the bill now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. If signed, it will take effect on Sept. 1.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete .

: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated when a judge is expected to approve a settlement between the NCAA and athletes. The judge could approve the settlement any day.

The Texas Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to eliminate the STAAR test � the state's standardized test for public schools � while also overhauling how schools are rated and limiting legal challenges that have delayed accountability scores in recent years.

, introduced by Republican Rep. Brad Buckley of Salado, would get rid of the STAAR test in favor of three shorter tests administered throughout the school year. According to the bill, scores would be compared to "nationally comparative results" for their grade and subject. The results would be available within 24 hours to help teachers adjust instruction quickly.

HB 4 passed on a vote of 23 to 8 on Tuesday; it now heads for final approval before it can be signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. But with just days remaining in this year's legislative session, time is running short for lawmakers to fully pass the measure.

Beyond testing changes, HB 4 would also make changes to how the Texas Education Agency grades public schools. The bill would require the TEA to release school ratings every year, update the accountability system at least once every five years and get legislative approval for major changes to how schools are graded.

Currently, the TEA uses an A-F grading system to rate schools and districts, with STAAR scores making up the largest portion of the overall grade. These ratings can have serious consequences: In 2023, the state used them to justify � the state's largest district � after one high school received repeated failing scores.

"What gets measured gets fixed, but you can't fix what you can't measure," said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Republican from Houston. "HB 4 ensures accountability ratings are released clearly, fairly and with purpose to measure performance, report results and help schools improve."

These changes come after years of legal battles. In 2023, several school districts sued to block the release of that year's A-F ratings, arguing the state changed its scoring system without enough notice. A judge blocked the release, but that decision was later . In 2024, over a new computer grading system, and a judge again halted the release of ratings, which are still on hold.

To address these challenges, HB 4 bans the use of public funds to fight the release of school ratings and creates a faster legal process for related lawsuits. The bill allows the attorney general to ask the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court to appoint a special three-judge panel to hear cases challenging how the state funds or oversees public schools � including its accountability system.

"Texas' constitutionally required accountability system will be protected by putting an end to taxpayer-funded lawsuits to ensure the focus remains on students, not law-fare," Bettencourt said on Tuesday. "It's about securing the future of public education in Texas."

Copyright 2025 KERA