North Texas lawmaker files bill to abolish TEA, says it’s a bloated bureaucracy
Republican state Rep. Andy Hopper of Decatur has filed a bill to abolish the Texas Education Agency, stating that it is a bloated bureaucracy that isn’t accountable to taxpayers.
Hopper’s bill, HB2657, filed Feb. 11, would place most functions of the TEA under the elected State Board of Education and move the public school finance component to the Texas Comptroller’s office.
Hopper filed the legislation as President Donald Trump has called for the U.S. Department of Education to be eliminated. Hopper defeated Lynn Stuckey in the March 2024 primary.
Hopper said in a news release, “President Trump has called upon every level of government to eliminate inefficiencies and waste. In Texas, there is perhaps no other agency that exemplifies rampant, unaccountable bureaucracy and bloat more than the Texas Education Agency.”
Hopper said in an interview he talked to many “educators” during his campaign who said they weren’t happy with the TEA, saying the agency was no longer relevant.
“I heard over and over again on the campaign trail from public educators that this organization had outgrown its usefulness,” he said. “With all the talk on the school choice bill, we should also unshackle public schools and allow them to run independently.”
Hopper added that he has gottten “overwhelming support” from other conservative legislators, and several have signed on as co-sponsors, including Republicans Nate Schatsline of Fort Worth, Shelly Luther of Tom Bean and Mitch Little of Lewisville.
The TEA did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Hopper also stated that Texans poured billions in to the state agency to improve education, but have been “consistently and profoundly disappointed in the results.”
The TEA, which dates 1949, oversees over 1,200 school districts and primary and secondary education for over 5 million students. Among its functions:
▪ Administers the distribution of state and federal funding to public schools.
▪ Administers the statewide assessment program and accountability system.
▪ Provides support to the State Board of Education in the development of the statewide curriculum.
▪ Assists the SBOE in the instructional materials adoption process and managing the instructional materials distribution process.
▪ Administers a data collection system on public school information.
▪ Performs the administrative functions and services of the State Board for Educator Certification.
▪ Supports agency operations, including carrying out duties related to the Permanent School Fund.
▪ Monitors for compliance with certain federal and state guidelines.
The bills calls for fulltime employees to be split between the SBOE and the Comptroller’s Office, beginning in September.
Along with Hopper’s bill to dismantle the TEA, the Texas Senate recently passed HB2, which would allow public tax dollars to be used to help families pay for private school tuition.
The legislation is now in the Texas House.
The bill would give families $10,000 per student for tuition, textbooks, transportation and therapy and children with disabilities would receive $11,500 per student..