TASA Legislative Positions & Priorities
Below are TASA’s priorities for the 2027 legislative session as approved in October 2026 by the TASA Executive Committee.
90th Legislative Session
During the 90th session of the Texas Legislature in 2027, TASA will support or initiate legislation that aligns with the association’s positions and priorities and work with other associations and groups to advocate for the following.
Local Control
- A cornerstone priority of TASA members is local control and flexibility, as school districts must be able to respond to the differing needs of students, educators, parents, and the communities they serve.
- Support local control of school finances and oppose measures that erode local discretion.
- Oppose legislation or measures that seek to limit school districts’ or administrators’ ability to have representation before the Texas Legislature, state agencies, and the executive branch.
- Support Districts of Innovation in their current form.
Education Funding
- Advocate for an adequate and equitable school finance system that raises per-pupil funding to the national average.
- Advocate for local discretion with spending to ensure that the needs of students, staff, and communities are met.
- Support the use of enrollment vs. attendance as the standard for school funding.
Foundation School Program
- Oppose any cuts to school district FSP funding.
- Advocate for adequate and equitable formula-based funding that considers student and district characteristics to meet state and local standards.
Allotment of Basic Costs
- Advocate for increased funding to address rising operational costs driven by inflation, including higher property and casualty insurance premiums.
- Advocate for increased funding to cover employee benefit costs that exceed the state minimum.
School Safety
- Advocate for an increase above current funding levels of $21.10 per student and $33k per campus from the School Safety Allotment.
- Advocate for local flexibility so districts can meet student and staff safety needs while complying with state requirements.
- Support efforts to reduce travel costs and minimize time away from district duties for safety training currently offered only in San Marcos, Texas.
Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment
- Advocate for increased IMTA funding to provide districts with needed technology and instructional materials, while opposing carveouts that reduce district funding.
- Advocate for keeping state-designated OER materials optional, allowing districts to select instructional materials that best meet local student needs.
- Advocate for TEA to implement rigorous pre-publication reviews and clear timelines for the state’s Curriculum to prevent future disruptions and protect public funds.
Facilities Funding
- Advocate for additional funding for the Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA), Existing Debt Allotment (EDA), and the New Instructional Facilities Allotment (NIFA).
Charter Schools
- Oppose further expansion of publicly funded charter schools, including additional campuses under existing charters, unless they are subject to the same accountability and transparency requirements as community-based public schools, including those governing special education, public notices, discipline, finances, transportation, bilingual programs, employment, parental rights, lobbying, student privacy, audits, nutrition, and nepotism.
Special Education Funding
- Advocate for increasing the Special Education Allotment at a minimum by $250 million per each year of the biennium.
- Support public schools with the staff and funding needed to comply with IDEA requirements for determining whether students entering the state’s Texas Education Freedom Account Program qualify for special education services.
Teacher Retirement System
- Advocate for the continuation of the current defined benefit pension program for TRS members and advocate for an annual cost-of-living adjustment for all retirees if a study of the fund determines it will not negatively impact the actuarial soundness of the fund.
- Advocate for increased state funding to assist with increased healthcare costs associated with TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care.
Teacher Shortage
- Support measures that help with recruitment and retention of the workforce.
- Support expanding the Teacher Retention Allotment and Teacher Incentive Allotment eligibility for hard-to-staff positions, such as counselors and nurses.
Texas Education Freedom Account Program
- Oppose expanding the Texas Education Freedom Account program, which diverts public tax dollars to private entities, homeschool students, or parents without sufficient academic or financial accountability or transparency to the state, taxpayers, or local communities.
Assessment and Accountability
- Advocate for the establishment of a comprehensive accountability system that looks beyond high-stakes, multiple-choice exams to meaningful assessments that have value for students, parents, and teachers, as well as flexible measures that local communities value.
- Advocate for financial assistance to campuses with three consecutive failing grades, with local flexibility to address student performance and prevent further failing grades and state takeover.
Artificial Intelligence
- Support designating a leader to coordinate a statewide K-12 AI strategy and convene an advisory board of educators, parents, industry representatives, and policymakers.
- Support developing and publishing state guidance for school districts on responsible AI use by educators and students, data privacy, AI procurement, and student assessment.
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