By Wilson H.B. No. 1240 77R4205 ESH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to creation of a public education voucher pilot program 1-3 for certain children. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Subchapter J to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER J. PUBLIC EDUCATION VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM 1-8 Sec. 29.351. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-9 (1) "Parent" includes a guardian or custodian. 1-10 (2) "Private school" means a nongovernmental 1-11 educational establishment that exists for the general education of 1-12 elementary or secondary students. The term does not include a 1-13 school that provides education in a home setting or by the parent 1-14 or that limits enrollment to relatives of the school's staff. 1-15 Sec. 29.352. ELIGIBLE CHILD. (a) A child is eligible for a 1-16 voucher to be used to pay the costs of attending a private school 1-17 if the child: 1-18 (1) is educationally disadvantaged; 1-19 (2) is eligible to attend school under Section 25.001 1-20 in a school district that is among the six largest districts in 1-21 membership for the 2001-2002 school year, as determined by the 1-22 commissioner; 1-23 (3) was enrolled in a public school district during 1-24 the preceding school year or is enrolling in prekindergarten, 2-1 kindergarten, or first grade for the first time; and 2-2 (4) either: 2-3 (A) failed to perform satisfactorily on the most 2-4 recent assessment instrument administered to the child under 2-5 Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l); or 2-6 (B) is eligible under Subchapter G to attend 2-7 another public school in the district in which the child resides or 2-8 to receive a public education grant to use to attend a public 2-9 school in another district, but has had an application to attend 2-10 another school in the child's district or in another district 2-11 rejected. 2-12 (b) After a child establishes eligibility under Subsection 2-13 (a) and attends a private school using a voucher, the child is 2-14 entitled to continue receiving the voucher, regardless of whether 2-15 the child continues to meet the requirements of Subsection (a), 2-16 until the earlier of the date on which the child graduates from 2-17 high school or the child's 21st birthday, unless the child: 2-18 (1) enrolls in a public school district after using 2-19 the voucher; or 2-20 (2) changes residences and is no longer entitled under 2-21 Section 25.001 to attend school in the school district under which 2-22 the child's eligibility for a voucher was established. 2-23 Sec. 29.353. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION. (a) Not later than a 2-24 date established by the commissioner, a school district described 2-25 by Section 29.352(a)(2) shall notify in writing the parent of each 2-26 eligible child of the child's eligibility for a voucher. 2-27 (b) A parent may apply for a voucher on behalf of the 3-1 parent's child by notifying the school district by a date 3-2 established by the commissioner. 3-3 Sec. 29.354. AMOUNT OF VOUCHER; FINANCING. (a) A child's 3-4 voucher is an amount equal to the total average per student funding 3-5 amount in the school district the child would otherwise attend 3-6 during the preceding school year for maintenance and operations, 3-7 including state and local funding, but excluding money from the 3-8 available school fund. 3-9 (b) An eligible child who attends a private school in 3-10 compliance with this subchapter is entitled to 100 percent of the 3-11 child's voucher, unless the tuition charged by the school is less 3-12 than the amount of the voucher. In that event, the school district 3-13 the child would otherwise attend is entitled to the amount of the 3-14 voucher remaining after payment of tuition. 3-15 (c) An eligible child who attends a private school using a 3-16 voucher is included in determining the average daily attendance 3-17 under Section 42.005 of the school district in which the student 3-18 would otherwise attend school. 3-19 (d) A child's voucher is payable from the school district to 3-20 the private school on behalf of the child. A child's voucher is 3-21 the entitlement of the child, under the supervision of the child's 3-22 parent, is not an entitlement of any school, and is paid to a 3-23 school solely as a means of administrative convenience. 3-24 Sec. 29.355. ACCREDITATION. (a) Except as otherwise 3-25 provided by this section, a private school that accepts students 3-26 with vouchers must be accredited by a private organization 3-27 recognized by the commissioner. 4-1 (b) A newly established private school may receive voucher 4-2 funds without accreditation if the school applies for accreditation 4-3 before accepting students under the program. 4-4 (c) The commissioner may waive the requirements of this 4-5 section for good cause. 4-6 Sec. 29.356. ADMISSIONS. (a) A private school may not 4-7 refuse to enroll a child with a voucher on the basis of the child's 4-8 residence, race, national origin, ethnic background, religion, 4-9 disability, or academic achievement. 4-10 (b) A private school may refuse to enroll a child with a 4-11 voucher if the child: 4-12 (1) has been expelled from a public school; or 4-13 (2) has a criminal record. 4-14 (c) A private school may not consider the athletic ability 4-15 of a child with a voucher in any admission process relating to the 4-16 child. 4-17 (d) Except as provided by Subsection (e), a private school 4-18 that has more applicants with vouchers than available positions 4-19 must fill the positions by lottery. A private school must declare 4-20 the number of available positions and conduct the lottery for the 4-21 next school year not later than July 1 of each year. 4-22 (e) A private school may give preference to an enrolled 4-23 student to achieve continuity and to siblings of an enrolled 4-24 student or children residing in the same household as an enrolled 4-25 student for the convenience of the parents of those children. 4-26 Sec. 29.357. TUITION; ADDITIONAL CHARGES AND FEES. A 4-27 private school may not: 5-1 (1) charge an eligible child attending the school with 5-2 a voucher tuition: 5-3 (A) in addition to the voucher; or 5-4 (B) in an amount greater than the standard 5-5 tuition rate at the school; or 5-6 (2) assess any additional charge, other than a fee 5-7 that the board of trustees of a school district is authorized to 5-8 charge under Section 11.158, for providing an educational program 5-9 or service to the child. 5-10 Sec. 29.358. ACCOUNTABILITY. (a) A private school shall 5-11 administer to each student with a voucher who is enrolled in the 5-12 school the assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(a), 5-13 (b), (c), or (l), or other comparable assessment instruments 5-14 approved by the commissioner, in the same manner as those 5-15 instruments are administered to public school students. 5-16 (b) A private school shall report to the commissioner 5-17 concerning the school's performance on the academic excellence 5-18 indicators under Section 39.051 for students with vouchers who are 5-19 enrolled in the school. The commissioner shall publish the 5-20 school's performance information and make it available to parents 5-21 for review. 5-22 Sec. 29.359. CERTIFICATION TO COMPTROLLER. To receive 5-23 voucher funds, a private school must certify to the comptroller 5-24 that the school has complied with the conditions imposed by Section 5-25 29.356. 5-26 Sec. 29.360. DUTIES OF COMPTROLLER. The comptroller shall 5-27 adopt rules, procedures, and forms for the payment of vouchers to 6-1 private schools on behalf of students attending those schools with 6-2 vouchers. 6-3 Sec. 29.361. EVALUATION AND REPORT. The commissioner, in 6-4 consultation with the school districts whose students are eligible 6-5 to participate in the pilot program, shall evaluate the program 6-6 established by this subchapter and report the evaluation, together 6-7 with recommendations, to the legislature not later than December 1, 6-8 2004. 6-9 Sec. 29.362. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires September 6-10 1, 2005, and vouchers may not be issued for the 2005-2006 or a 6-11 later school year. 6-12 SECTION 2. The State Board of Education shall implement the 6-13 public education voucher pilot program as provided by Subchapter J, 6-14 Chapter 29, Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning with 6-15 the 2001-2002 school year. 6-16 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 6-17 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 6-18 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 6-19 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 6-20 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.