Recently, the Texas Legislature made unprecedented moves to direct money towards education initiatives. On June 11, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill that will reward schools and districts based on their performance, support low-income students, and increase compensation for working and retired teachers.

According to KTVT-TV, teacher salaries in Texas are $7,000 below the National Education Association’s reported average. While the new bill guarantees that teachers will receive a raise, it is still unclear what the exact amount will be.

Here are a few things we do know about the bill that will impact every school and every teacher in the state of Texas.

Lower School Property Taxes

Residents in each school district pay property taxes that directly fund school programs, buildings, and employees. While these property tax amounts differ for each district based on local government decisions, they are about to decrease in every Texas town.

The new law will lower school property taxes by an average of 5% in its first year and 10% in its second year.

All-Day Pre-K

In an effort to refocus on low-income students and help them better achieve success, the new law funds all-day pre-kindergarten classes.

Merit Pay Program

$1.4 million is dedicated to a new merit-based program that encourages positive results in teachers. Gov. Abbott says this program will provide the potential for teachers to earn “close to $100,000 per year.”

Performance-Based Bonuses

To encourage student success in entering the workforce, school districts will receive a financial bonus for every single student who either joins the military or enrolls in college after graduation.

School Year Extension

The new law will allow teachers the option to extend the school year by one month for students who are struggling. This will offer students additional opportunities to prepare for graduation or to simply advance to the next grade level.

Despite the uncertainty about how much money teachers can expect to earn next year, the intention to funnel more government resources towards students and teachers alike is clear.

On June 10, Gov. Abbott signed a separate law that protects teacher retirement funding. It will pay off debt associated with the teacher retirement system and increase state contributions to retirement. All teachers who retired before the end of 2018 will receive an additional one-time supplemental check for up to $2,000 by September 2020.

While educators are naturally rejoicing about the improvements these laws will provide, critics have raised questions about where some of the funding will originate. For example, the bill does not indicate a source of revenue available to continue lower property taxation beyond the first two years.

But even with its imperfections, the new law offers hope that Texas education is heading in a positive direction. According to The Dallas Morning News, Gov. Abbott spoke to the importance of the law and its implications at the signing ceremony, which took place at an Austin elementary school.

“I can't overstate the magnitude of the law I'm about to sign,” Abbott said. “This one law does more to advance education in Texas than any law I've seen passed in my adult life in the state of Texas.”