S.B. 16 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 16 By: Staples Public Education Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law requires school districts to spend compensatory education funds on instructional services for at-risk students in order to address disparities in assessment performance and high school completion rates between at-risk students and their peers. S.B. 16 allows a school district to use compensatory education funds for mentoring programs that aim to further the goal of assisting at-risk youth. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, institution, or agency. ANALYSIS S.B. 16 amends the Education Code, by authorizing each school district to provide a mentoring services program to students at risk of dropping out of school. The bill requires a district that provides a mentoring services program using compensatory education funds to meet standards adopted by the governor under the mentoring initiative established by the governor. The bill requires the board of trustees of the district to obtain the consent of a student's parent or guardian before allowing the student to participate in the program. The bill authorizes the board of trustees of the district to arrange for any public or private community-based organization to come to the district's schools and implement the program. The bill authorizes funds allocated under Section 42.152 to be used to fund a district's mentoring services program under Section 29.089, notwithstanding Section 42.152(c). EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.