The bill, S.B. No. 436, proposes the establishment of a Property Value Study Hardship Grant Program aimed at providing financial assistance to eligible school districts in Texas. This program is designed to offset funding reductions that districts may experience under the Foundation School Program due to the use of state-determined taxable property values for the 2024 and 2025 tax years. The commissioner of education will administer the grant program for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, with a total funding cap of $175 million for grants awarded in any school year. The grants will be calculated based on the difference between the funding a district would have received using local taxable values and the funding it is entitled to under existing laws.

Additionally, the bill specifies that open-enrollment charter schools are not eligible for these grants, and the funding provided will be in addition to other funding sources available to school districts. The commissioner has the authority to require additional information from districts to determine grant eligibility, and the decisions made regarding grant awards will be final and not subject to appeal. The new section created by this bill will expire on September 1, 2027, and the act will take effect on September 1, 2025.

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