A Texas Senate bill filed on Tuesday would provide long-term pay raises to teachers based on years of experience, expand a state program that offers raises to instructors based on student performance and allow educators to enroll their children in pre-K free of charge.

Sen. Brandon Creighton filed a bill Tuesday aimed at increasing pay for Texas teachers. More experienced teachers could get a bump of up to $10,000.

Last school year, the average teacher in Texas made thousands of dollars less than teachers in other states. A nearly $5 billion bill filed Tuesday in the Legislature seeks to provide across-the-board raises and put more money toward bonuses.

The Texas Senate has proposed a bill that would allocate 80% of new teacher pay funds towards across-the-board raises and 20% towards bonuses, including expanding the Teacher Incentive Allotment program and providing free pre-K services for public school teachers' children.

Texas lawmakers on Thursday are expected to debate an across-the-board raise for the state’s experienced educators.

The proposal would expand a program that allows districts to award bonuses to educators based on their students’ academic growth.

The proposal comes as public school teachers in Texas are leaving the profession in droves and many districts are trying to make up budget shortfalls.

Senate Bill 26 would give Texas teachers raises based on their experience and the size of the school district where they work.