|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the methods by which students may be admitted to public |
|
schools and the disclosure of information regarding public school |
|
admission methods. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 12.117, Education Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subsections (a-1) and (b-1) to read as follows: |
|
(a-1) An open-enrollment charter school that fills |
|
available positions by lottery under Subsection (a)(2)(A) may use a |
|
weighted lottery that assigns weights to applicants so that an |
|
applicant's probability of admission increases if the applicant is: |
|
(1) eligible to participate in a special education |
|
program under Section 29.003; |
|
(2) a student of limited English proficiency, as |
|
defined by Section 29.052; or |
|
(3) a student at risk of dropping out of school, as |
|
defined by Section 29.081(d). |
|
(b-1) An open-enrollment charter school shall post in a |
|
prominent and appropriate location on the school's public Internet |
|
website notice of: |
|
(1) the method by which the school fills available |
|
positions in the school, including whether the school uses: |
|
(A) a lottery; or |
|
(B) a weighted lottery; and |
|
(2) if the school fills available positions by |
|
weighted lottery under Subsection (a-1), the weights assigned to |
|
applicants under that subsection. |
|
SECTION 2. Section 12.1173(a), Education Code, is amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(a) The commissioner by rule shall adopt a common admission |
|
application form for use by an applicant for admission to an |
|
open-enrollment charter school that provides for the submission of |
|
information that the commissioner considers appropriate, including |
|
information necessary for an open-enrollment charter school to |
|
implement a weighted lottery under Section 12.117(a-1). |
|
SECTION 3. Section 25.001, Education Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subsection (k) to read as follows: |
|
(k) If a school district elects to admit students not |
|
described by Subsection (b) into the district's schools, the |
|
district shall post in a prominent and appropriate location on the |
|
district's public Internet website notice of: |
|
(1) the method by which the district admits those |
|
students; and |
|
(2) if the district uses a weighted lottery to admit |
|
those students, the weights assigned to applicants for the lottery, |
|
including the weights assigned to an applicant who is: |
|
(A) eligible to participate in the school's |
|
special education program under Section 29.003; |
|
(B) a student of limited English proficiency, as |
|
defined by Section 29.052; or |
|
(C) a student at risk of dropping out of school, |
|
as defined by Section 29.081(d). |
|
SECTION 4. Section 12.117(a-1), Education Code, as added by |
|
this Act, applies beginning with admissions for the 2022-2023 |
|
school year. |
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |