Brent Money Votes Against School Finance Bill

State Rep. Brent Money (R) voted against House Bill 2 (HB 2), a school finance bill that would add $7.76 billion into Texas’ public education system, citing serious concerns about how the funds would be distributed and the expansion of state bureaucracy.

“HB 2 directs billions into a system in a manner that lacks simplicity and fairness at a time when property taxes are crippling businesses and families,” state Rep. Money said in a statement. “Only 40% of these funds are guaranteed for teachers, with the rest absorbed by bureaucracy and overhead.”

Though the legislation aims to boost funding for Texas schools, state Rep. Money argues that it falls short of meaningful reform. One issue for the Texas Republican is the bill’s expansion of the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which includes the addition of 27 new bureaucratic positions.

“This bill expands state control,” he argued, adding that it “fails to address the inequities in our school finance system.” “Every dollar we spend on this system is money that cannot be returned to taxpayers.”

State Rep. Money has held conversations with superintendents across his district in recent weeks. Many superintendents welcomed the prospect of increased funding, but they also raised concerns that the bill’s structure does not effectively serve their local needs.

During the floor debate, state Rep. Money supported an amendment from Rep. Alan Schoolcraft (R) that would have simplified the system and raised the basic allotment by $1,400.

That amendment was unsuccessful.

Despite the amendment failing, state Rep. Money emphasized his continued support for Texas educators, saying that he voted at every opportunity to increase teacher pay and to require that school districts allocate larger portions of funds to educator raises.

After a 144-4 vote, the bill now heads to the Texas Senate, and state Rep. Money said he is engaged in ongoing discussions to improve the legislation.

“Throwing more money at the same structure hasn’t worked. We need more local and parental control, not more top-down bureaucracy,” he commented.