BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 272
87R2738 BDP-F	By: West
	Education
	4/9/2021
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

PROBLEM:

• Students are not given proper representation or insight into the decision-making process of a Texas school board.
• Without proper representation in this process, students are unable to adequately voice their positions over issues that directly affect the student body.
• Due to the lack of discussion between a student body and the school board, students, teachers, and administrators alike are disconnected from one another. This hinders the ability for a school district to work collaboratively with all members of its community and student body.

 

SOLUTION:

• Create a uniform application used by public schools to find student regents to serve on the school board as non-voting members.
• The president of the school board is required to select two or more applicants to serve as non-voting trustees.
• A student must remain enrolled at school and maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a four-point scale, or the equivalent.

 

As proposed, S.B. 272 amends current law relating to requiring the board of trustees of each school district to create a nonvoting student trustee position on the board.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, by adding Section 11.0512, as follows:

Sec. 11.0512.  STUDENT TRUSTEE.� (a)� Requires the board of trustees of each school district, in addition to the number of trustees of a school district as provided by Section 11.051 (Governance of Independent School District; Number of Trustees), to appoint a student trustee in the manner provided by this section

(b)  Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to develop a uniform application form to be used to solicit eligible applicants for the position of student trustee.

(c) Requires the principal of each high school in a school district, except as provided by Subsection (d), to:

(1) solicit applications for appointment to the next regular term of the position of student trustee of the school district using the uniform application form developed under Subsection (b) not later than November 1 of each year;

(2) select three applicants from the applications received to serve as the school's recommendations for the position of student trustee not later than January 1; and

(3) send the school's recommendations and corresponding applications to the president of the board of trustees of the school district.

(d)  Prohibits the principal of the high school at which a current student trustee is enrolled at the time of the student's appointment from soliciting applicants for the position of student trustee for the next regular term of the position.

(e)  Requires the president of the board of trustees of each school district to select two or more applicants from the applications received to serve as recommendations to the board for the student trustee position.

(f)  Authorizes the board of trustees of a school district to request to review all applications for the position of student trustee received by the board president and to request an applicant to submit additional information.

(g)  Requires the board by majority vote to appoint on June 1, or as soon as practicable thereafter, one of the applicants to serve as the student trustee for the district for a one-year term expiring May 31 of the following year.

(h)  Requires a person to be enrolled as a student at a high school in the district and be ���� in good academic standing as determined by the school at which the student is enrolled at the time of appointment, to be eligible for appointment as a student trustee for a school district.

(i) Requires the student to remain enrolled at the school and maintain a grade point average of 2.5 on a four-point scale, or the equivalent, throughout a student's term as a student trustee.

(j)  Requires the principal of the school at which a student trustee is enrolled to notify the president of the board of trustees of the school district if the student trustee fails to ����������� maintain the qualifications required by Subsection (i).� Requires the president of the board of trustees of the school district, on receiving notice, to declare the position as vacant and as soon as practicable fill the vacancy in the manner prescribed by Subsection (l).

(k)  Provides that a student trustee is not a member of the board of trustees of the school ����������� district for which the student is appointed.� Provides that a student trustee has the same powers and duties as a member of the board of trustees, including the right to attend and participate in meetings of the board, except that the student trustee may not vote on any matter before the board or make or second any motion before the board, and is not counted in determining whether a quorum exists for a meeting of the board or in determining the outcome of any vote of the board.

(l)  Requires that a vacancy in the position of student trustee for a school district be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the president of the board of trustees of the ����� school district in consultation with the board.

(m)  Provides that a student trustee serves without compensation but is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the student in attending meetings of the board, subject to the approval of the president of the board of trustees of the school district.

(n)  Authorizes a school district to grant to a student who fulfills the requirements of service of a student trustee not more than one academic course credit in a subject area determined appropriate by the district.

SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 11.0511 (Student Trustee for Certain Districts), Education Code.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.