AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A spokesperson in the governor's office confirmed Gov. Greg Abbott will sign House Bill 8, which will change the way Texas public school students are tested starting in the 2027-2028 school year.

Eliminating the current State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) was a bipartisan issue, but finding its replacement split Democrats and Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives.

HB 8 passed along party lines and State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, called on Abbott to veto the bill. "This bill betrays Texas students, parents, and teachers Governor Abbott, there’s only one right move for Texas kids: Veto HB 8," Hinojosa wrote in a news release.

"Texas is on a pathway to become number one in education which requires a strong accountability system," Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesman for the governor's office, said in a statement. "HB 8 replaces the outdated STAAR test with more modernized testing strategies that prioritize learning over testing and more effectively measure student progress. The Governor looks forward to........

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