Texas Legislature gears up to tackle long-standing and fresh issues in public education. Here’s what you need to know.

Students get on a bus after classes at Lufkin High School on Jan. 27, 2023. (Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune)

With the legislative session now underway, lawmakers will once again have the chance to tackle issues that have plagued Texas’ public schools since the COVID-19 pandemic hit three years ago, like school funding and teacher shortages.

And they have a historic $32.7 billion surplus to work with. Both the Senate and House’s budget proposals include money for school safety, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed willingness to increase school funding for teacher raises.