HBA-JLV, MPM H.B. 1277 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1277
By: King, Tracy
Public Education
4/3/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

School districts receive state funding based on the Average Daily
Attendance (ADA) of their students. Currently, a school district may file
charges against a student under the age of eighteen for poor attendance.
However, there is no such option if a student with poor attendance is over
eighteen years of age.  The primary option for a school district is to
withdraw the student from the district, which counts against the school
district's drop out rate, thereby affecting the funding of the school
district.  School administrators believe they need the ability to withdraw
eighteen year old students from the prospective school districts without
the student being counted as a dropout.  House Bill 1277 prohibits the
commissioner of education from considering a dropout or a student who
failed to attend school for purposes of determining performance on academic
excellence indicators. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1277 amends the Education Code to prohibit the commissioner of
education (commissioner) from considering as a dropout or as a student who
failed to attend school a student whose failure to attend results from
revocation of enrollment of a student who voluntarily attends school after
the student's 18th birthday because the student has more than five
unexcused absences. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. This Act applies beginning with the
2001-2002 school year.