By:  De la Garza                                       H.B. No. 873
       73R4248 CAS-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to an establishment by two or more school districts in a
    1-3  county of an alternative school for students expelled from regular
    1-4  class.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
    1-7  amended by adding Section 21.310 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 21.310.  ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL OPERATED BY TWO OR MORE
    1-9  DISTRICTS.  (a)  The board of trustees of a school district by
   1-10  resolution may authorize the district to participate jointly with
   1-11  one or more other districts in the same county to establish an
   1-12  alternative school for students who are expelled from regular class
   1-13  under Section 21.3011 of this code.
   1-14        (b)  A district participating in the alternative school
   1-15  program may combine its funds with the funds of another
   1-16  participating district to acquire land, build or equip facilities,
   1-17  or employ personnel for an alternative school.  Each district may
   1-18  contribute land, facilities, equipment, or personnel for the
   1-19  alternative school.
   1-20        (c)  Each district shall pay a proportionate share of the
   1-21  alternative school's budget based on each district's total district
   1-22  enrollment or based on other criteria determined by agreement of
   1-23  the participating districts.
   1-24        (d)  The participating districts may allow a student who is
    2-1  in a district that is not participating in the program to attend
    2-2  the alternative school and may establish fees to be charged to the
    2-3  district in which the student resides.
    2-4        (e)  The participating districts shall appoint a principal
    2-5  and may hire other personnel for the school, including security
    2-6  personnel.
    2-7        (f)  The participating districts may accept grants and other
    2-8  gifts for the school, including land, facilities, and equipment.
    2-9        (g)  A student expelled under Section 21.3011 of this code
   2-10  and sent to the alternative school shall remain at the school for
   2-11  the entire period of the expulsion.
   2-12        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-13  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-14  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-15  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-16  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-17  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-18  passage, and it is so enacted.