LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 13, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Paul Sadler, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1936  by Dutton (Relating to referendum elections
               concerning the first instructional day of a school year
               for public school students and to the first
               instructional day of the first term of summer session
               for students at general academic teaching
               institutions.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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Local Government Impact
  
This bill directs school districts to hold a referendum on the subject of
the starting date for school.  The referendum must submit two dates to
the electorate.  One date must be on or between August 21 and August 31,
and the other date must be on or after September 1.  The proposition must
be structured in a manner to give only the two choices, not allowing
rejection of both.  Ballots for which no selection is made would not be
counted.  The referendum would be combined with any other school district
election.  The proposition that receives the highest vote total in the
referendum would be adopted as the new starting date.   A school district
that adopts a year-round calendar could modify the starting date.

The Texas Education Agency estimates the total of all local school
districts across the state would save about $4-6 million in air
conditioning expenses each school year, if the first day of school were
the first day after Labor Day.  The Comptroller's Office estimates the
total amount of such annual savings to be $10 million.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency, 781   Texas Higher
                   Education Coordinating Board
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, RN