By Garcia H.B. No. 840
76R148 AJA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to admission to a public school under the public education
1-3 grant program.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 29.201, Education Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 29.201. PARENTAL CHOICE. Notwithstanding any other
1-8 provision of this code, as provided by this subchapter an eligible
1-9 student is entitled, if the student's enrollment would not cause
1-10 the district as of the date of the student's enrollment to exceed
1-11 the class size limit prescribed by Section 25.112(a), to:
1-12 (1) [may] attend a public school in the district in
1-13 which the student resides; or
1-14 (2) [may] use a public education grant to attend any
1-15 other district chosen by the student's parent.
1-16 SECTION 2. Section 29.203(d), Education Code, is amended to
1-17 read as follows:
1-18 (d) A school district chosen by a student's parent under
1-19 Section 29.201 that has more acceptable applicants for attendance
1-20 under this subchapter than available positions may not [is entitled
1-21 to] accept or reject the application for the student to attend
1-22 school in that district by using [but may not use] criteria that
1-23 discriminate on the basis of a student's race, ethnicity, academic
1-24 achievement, athletic abilities, language proficiency, sex, or
2-1 socioeconomic status. The [A] school district [that has more
2-2 acceptable applicants for attendance under this subchapter than
2-3 available positions] must give priority to students at risk of
2-4 dropping out of school as defined by Section 29.081 and must fill
2-5 the available positions by lottery. However, to achieve continuity
2-6 in education, a school district may give preference over at-risk
2-7 students to enrolled students and to the siblings of enrolled
2-8 students residing in the same household or other children residing
2-9 in the same household as enrolled students for the convenience of
2-10 parents, guardians, or custodians of those children.
2-11 SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
2-12 school year.
2-13 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-18 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-19 passage, and it is so enacted.