By Dutton H.B. No. 1142
77R1546 BDH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to organization of certain school districts.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 11, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-5 Subchapter I to read as follows:
1-6 SUBCHAPTER I. UNIFIED SCHOOL SYSTEM
1-7 Sec. 11.401. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only to
1-8 a school district that has an enrollment of more than 200,000
1-9 students.
1-10 Sec. 11.402. UNIFIED SCHOOL SYSTEM REQUIRED. The board of
1-11 trustees of a school district covered by this subchapter shall by
1-12 rule divide the district into four subdistricts to be known as a
1-13 unified school system.
1-14 Sec. 11.403. ORGANIZATION OF UNIFIED SCHOOL SYSTEM. (a) On
1-15 division of the school district into subdistricts under Section
1-16 11.402, the board of trustees of the district serves as the
1-17 temporary board of trustees of the unified school system.
1-18 (b) Trustees in office on January 1, 2001, shall adopt rules
1-19 for the transition to a unified school system, including for the
1-20 election of a new board of trustees in compliance with Subsection
1-21 (c).
1-22 (c) The board of trustees of a unified school system
1-23 consists of one trustee elected from each of the subdistricts and
1-24 three trustees elected from the district at large. Trustees serve
2-1 staggered four-year terms.
2-2 Sec. 11.404. POWERS AND DUTIES OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
2-3 UNIFIED SCHOOL SYSTEM. (a) The board of trustees of a unified
2-4 school system is responsible for supporting and coordinating the
2-5 administration of the subdistricts and shall employ a
2-6 superintendent to serve as the chief executive officer of the
2-7 system.
2-8 (b) The board of trustees of a unified school system shall
2-9 adopt rules regulating the following noninstructional services for
2-10 each subdistrict:
2-11 (1) human resources benefits management;
2-12 (2) school safety;
2-13 (3) governmental relations;
2-14 (4) technology and information systems management;
2-15 (5) transportation management;
2-16 (6) facilities operations and management; and
2-17 (7) any other noninstructional service considered
2-18 appropriate for central management, as determined by the board of
2-19 trustees of the unified school system and the boards of trustees of
2-20 the subdistricts.
2-21 (c) The board of trustees of a unified school system shall:
2-22 (1) levy and collect taxes and issue bonds under
2-23 Section 11.152; and
2-24 (2) apportion all funding available to the system
2-25 among the subdistricts based on the total number of students
2-26 enrolled in each subdistrict.
2-27 Sec. 11.405. SUBDISTRICT POWERS AND DUTIES; ORGANIZATION.
3-1 (a) Subject to the authority of the board of trustees of the
3-2 unified school system, each subdistrict is governed by an
3-3 independent board of trustees composed of the number of trustees
3-4 determined through rules adopted under Section 11.403(b). Trustees
3-5 of each subdistrict board serve staggered four-year terms.
3-6 (b) Each subdistrict board has exclusive authority over
3-7 instructional services provided within the subdistrict, including
3-8 classroom instruction, curriculum development and revision, student
3-9 assessment and subdistrict accountability, textbook selection, and
3-10 development and enhancement of relationships among parents,
3-11 teachers, and the administration of the subdistrict. As necessary
3-12 to exercise this authority, each subdistrict board has all the
3-13 rights and privileges provided by law to the board of a school
3-14 district.
3-15 SECTION 2. (a) Not later than the 90th day after the
3-16 effective date of this Act, the board of trustees of each school
3-17 district to which Subchapter I, Chapter 11, Education Code, as
3-18 added by this Act, applies shall divide the district into a
3-19 unified school system of four subdistricts and adopt rules as
3-20 required by that subchapter.
3-21 (b) At the first election at which trustees of a unified
3-22 school system or subdistrict under this Act are elected, all
3-23 positions on the appropriate board shall be filled. The trustees
3-24 then elected shall draw lots for staggered terms as required by
3-25 this Act.
3-26 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
3-27 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
4-1 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
4-2 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
4-3 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.