Texas Teacher Retirement: Unanswered Questions and Uncertain Futures

Texas Senate Bill 2 is moving through the legislature and educators are worried about its potential impact on the Teacher Retirement System (TRS).

If passed, the bill would grant thousands of dollars to private and homeschooled students through a voucher program, which, at first glance, doesn't seem problematic. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find it could have a devastating effect on not only Texas educators, but also school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, administration, counselors, and anyone else employed by a Texas public school or state college.

WFAA out of Dallas has done extensive research on what the bill could mean for those in education and pointed out that "one group could be affected significantly" by its passing.

A financial impact report from Jerry McGinty, the director of the Legislative Budget Board says that "even a small adjustment such as a decrease in projected covered payroll growth could be enough for TRS to no longer be actuarially sound".

Dr. Levatta Levels, a retired Texas educator and current member of the Teacher Retirement System pointed out to WFAA that it seems as though there is a prediction the "fund could be dismantled" in the fine print of page 254 of the bill, which is cause for major concern. She says “The system is not prepared to handle the increased retirees that could possibly enter and the decreased amount of those persons paying into the fund. The fund can’t maintain itself. The math isn’t mathing.”

Are you a Texas educator? I'd love to hear your opinion on Senate Bill 2. Please feel free to drop a comment below this article or email me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com and let's chat.

Keep scrolling to find more Texas-based news in the galleries below...