LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              April 21, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Paul Sadler, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB111  by Carona (Relating to an optional majority vote
               requirement for election of trustees in certain
               independent school districts.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would allow certain school districts (almost half of all school
districts), which elect trustees by position number or single-member
trustee districts, to require that local school board candidates receive
a majority vote to be elected.  A local decision to require trustees be
elected by a majority vote rather than a plurality would result in a
run-off election.  The cost of a runoff election would be borne by the
local school district.

The cost of runoff elections vary from minimal in very small districts to
as high as $300,000 in very large districts.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency, TCE    Texas Center for
                   Educational Research
LBB Staff:         JK, SD, CT, PF