Tell Your District’s ABC Story: A New Template for Talking to Lawmakers About Rising Costs

When the 89th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2, it did more than raise the basic allotment. It named a problem that every school board in Texas already knows by heart: the everyday cost of keeping the lights on, the buses running, and employees covered keeps climbing — whether or not a single new student walks through the door. To help address those fixed operating costs, the Legislature created a brand-new line of funding called the Allotment for Basic Costs (ABC). 

The ABC is funded at $106 for each enrolled student, and — unlike much of Texas school funding — it is tied to enrollment rather than average daily attendance. That distinction matters: fixed costs don’t disappear on the days a child is home sick. But for many districts, $106 per student does not come close to covering what these basic costs actually run. That gap is the story lawmakers need to hear — and it is best told with your district’s own numbers. 

To make that easy, we’ve built a customizable Allotment for Basic Costs advocacy letter template that any board or administrator can use to walk their legislators through the local math in a single page. 

What the ABC Is Meant To Address

Under HB 2, the ABC dollars may be used only for six specific categories of basic operating costs. The template is built around these categories so your figures line up precisely with what the allotment is designed to address: 

• Transportation 
• Hiring retired teachers 
• Health insurance, employee benefits, and payroll taxes 
• Teacher Retirement System (TRS) contributions and related costs 
• Utilities 
• Property and casualty insurance 

Because the categories are fixed in statute, your letter compares apples to apples: it shows what the state says the money is for, side by side with what those same line items actually cost your district. 

Why a Template and Why Now 

The House Public Education Committee is monitoring the bill's implementation as part of its interim charges and recently held a public hearing on the matter.   

Lawmakers hear “costs are going up” from every corner. What moves a conversation is a specific, local, verifiable figure: what your district paid for property and casualty insurance two years ago versus today; what this year’s utility bills look like; how much the welcome salary increases in HB 2 added to your TRS contributions and payroll taxes. The template turns those numbers into a clear, respectful ask — without requiring anyone to start from a blank page. 

It is designed to be filled in during a single sitting with your business office, and it is written to keep the tone exactly where it should be appreciative of the HB 2 investment, factual about the gap, and clear about the request. 

The Picture It Paints 

Once completed, the letter lays out a simple, powerful comparison: the rising real-world cost of the six ABC categories in your district, set directly against the $106-per-student allotment. For most districts, the side-by-side makes the point on its own. The letter is careful to acknowledge what the Legislature never claimed—that the ABC was meant to cover these costs in full — while giving lawmakers the local context they need as they weigh whether the allotment amount should grow in the next session. 

It also surfaces a point that is easy to miss: HB 2’s own salary investments — through the Teacher Retention Allotment and Support Staff Retention Allotment — raise district TRS contributions and payroll taxes, two of the very categories the ABC is meant to support. The template helps you show that connection plainly. 

How To Get Started 

Download the Allotment for Basic Costs advocacy letter template, set aside 20 minutes with your business office to gather the six cost figures for two school years, and customize the letter to your district’s voice. If you need help identifying your lawmakers or their contact information, TASB Governmental Relations is ready to assist. 

Your district’s numbers are the most persuasive case for a stronger Allotment for Basic Costs. This template helps you put them in front of the people who can act on them.