By Hochberg/Danburg                                    H.B. No. 769
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the consolidation of school districts.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Not later than December 31, 1993 the commissioner
    1-5  of education shall adopt a plan for the consolidation of school
    1-6  districts, to be effective with the 1994-1995 school year.  The
    1-7  plan shall meet the following requirements:
    1-8              1.)  Each district with wealth, as defined under
    1-9  section 16.260, Education Code, greater than $350,000 per student
   1-10  shall be consolidated with one or more districts to create a single
   1-11  contiguous district with wealth less than $280,000 per student.
   1-12              2.)  Each district with less than 1,600 students in
   1-13  average daily attendance that contains less than 300 square miles
   1-14  shall be consolidated with one or more districts to create a single
   1-15  contiguous district that has at least 2,000 students.
   1-16              3.)  Any other district that regularly spends more on
   1-17  administrative costs per weighted student in average daily
   1-18  attendance than 125 percent of the statewide average of such costs
   1-19  shall also be considered for consolidation.  Prior to the adoption
   1-20  of the plan, each such district shall have the opportunity to
   1-21  explain special circumstances that require such expenditures.  In
   1-22  determining administrative costs, the commissioner shall not
   1-23  include expenditures for salaries and benefits for campus-based
    2-1  principals or assistant principals.
    2-2        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    2-3        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-5  emergencey and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three separate
    2-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.