By: Bernsen S.B. No. 903
99S0537/1
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to class size in public schools.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Effective July 1, 2000, and applicable beginning
1-4 with the 2000-2001 school year, Section 25.112, Education Code, is
1-5 amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 (a) Except as otherwise authorized by this section, a school
1-8 district may not enroll more than 18 students in each
1-9 prekindergarten class or other instructional setting or 22 students
1-10 in each [a] kindergarten, first, second, third, [or] fourth, or
1-11 fifth grade class or other instructional setting. These
1-12 limitations do [That limitation does] not apply during:
1-13 (1) any 12-week period of the school year selected by
1-14 the district, in the case of a district whose average daily
1-15 attendance is adjusted under Section 42.005(c); or
1-16 (2) the last 12 weeks of any school year in the case
1-17 of any other district.
1-18 (e) A school district shall report to the commissioner the
1-19 number of students enrolled in each class. The report shall be
1-20 organized by grade level, curriculum subject, and special program.
1-21 SECTION 2. Effective September 1, 2000, Subsections (b) and
1-22 (c), Section 39.052, Education Code, are amended to read as
1-23 follows:
1-24 (b) The report card shall include the following information
2-1 where applicable:
2-2 (1) the academic excellence indicators adopted under
2-3 Sections 39.051(b)(1) through (8);
2-4 (2) class sizes, organized by grade level, curriculum
2-5 subject, and special program [student/teacher ratios]; and
2-6 (3) administrative and instructional costs per
2-7 student.
2-8 (c) The commissioner shall adopt rules for requiring
2-9 dissemination of appropriate class size and student performance
2-10 portions of campus report cards annually to the parent, guardian,
2-11 conservator, or other person having lawful control of each student
2-12 at the campus. On written request, the school district shall
2-13 provide a copy of a campus report card to any other party.
2-14 SECTION 3. Effective July 1, 2001, and applicable beginning
2-15 with the 2001-2002 school year, Subsection (a), Section 25.112,
2-16 Education Code, is amended to read as follows:
2-17 (a) Except as otherwise authorized by this section, a school
2-18 district may not enroll more than 18 students in each
2-19 prekindergarten, kindergarten, or first or second grade class or
2-20 other instructional setting or 22 students in each [a kindergarten,
2-21 first, second,] third, [or] fourth, fifth, or sixth grade class or
2-22 other instructional setting. These limitations do [That limitation
2-23 does] not apply during:
2-24 (1) any 12-week period of the school year selected by
2-25 the district, in the case of a district whose average daily
2-26 attendance is adjusted under Section 42.005(c); or
3-1 (2) the last 12 weeks of any school year in the case
3-2 of any other district.
3-3 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.