C.S.H.B. 2527 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 2527
By: Madden
Public Education
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND

In 1995, Senate Bill 1 created charter school laws and authorized school
districts to grant a charter to a campus or a program. When this law was
enacted, it contained numerous restrictions on forming the charter, on who
may run the charter, and on where the charter may operate. 


PURPOSE 

C.S.H.B. 2527 provides an alternative authorization process for school
districts to grant a charter.  


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 


ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2527 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of trustees
of a school district or the governing body of a home-rule school district
to grant a charter for a program operated by an entity that has entered
into a contract for educational services and that is at a facility located
in the boundaries of the district.   

The bill requires that the charter be initiated by a petition signed by at
least one parent of each student who has enrolled in the charter program
and each teacher employed to teach in the charter program. The bill
provides that the petition is for purposes of measuring continuing
interest by parents and teachers and that not signing the petition does
not preclude the parent's child or the teacher from continuing to
participate at a charter program.  

The bill stipulates that a governing body of a charter program comply with
the public information and open meetings laws with respect to the
operation of the program granted a charter. The bill clarifies that
employees of a charter program are entitled to the Teacher Retirement
System. 

The bill deletes the requirement that each school district adopt a charter
policy not later than January 1, 1998. The bill provides that a charter
may be revised with the approval of the board at the request of at least
two parents and at least two teachers in the program. 


EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.
 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2527 modifies the original by including an alternative
authorization process for granting school district charters instead of
deleting current requirements. C.S.H.B. 2527 modifies the original  by
permitting school districts to choose which authorization process to use
when granting district charters.