By:  Castro                                                       H.B. No. 3474



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a study of an existing education voucher pilot program.           
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of this Act is to study the 
beneficial or harmful results on participating students, on 
students remaining in the public school system and on the taxpayers 
of the affected district, of the voucher program established in San 
Antonio with private funds for the benefit of students residing 
within the Edgewood Independent School District.
	SECTION 2.  STUDY DESIGN.  The commissioner of education 
will contract with one or more individuals or organizations that 
have substantial experience in the study of educational performance 
and finance and that have not advocated and are not affiliated with 
any organization that has advocated either for or against the 
adoption of public school vouchers.  The consultants will study, at 
a minimum:
	The educational performance of a statistically valid sample 
of students who have participated in the voucher program in 
comparison to their performance prior to participation in the 
program and to the performance of demographically similar students 
who remained in the public school system;
	The experience of students who participated in the voucher 
program and then returned to the public schools, including their 
reasons for participating and returning, a comparison of the 
educational program in which they participated in the voucher 
program to the program in which their demographically similar 
classmates who remained in the public schools participated, the 
relative educational attainment they achieved while in the voucher 
program compared to the attainments achieved by those classmates 
and analyses from their teachers of their relative preparedness to 
participate at grade level upon their return to the public schools;
	The financial impact upon the public school district of the 
loss of students to the voucher programming, including a comparison 
of state funds lost to the ability of the district to achieve 
commensurate cost savings due to the reduction in the number of 
students served, both in aggregate and at the individual campus and 
classroom level;
	The utilization of the voucher funds by the participating 
private schools, including the proportionate expenditures for 
classroom and administrative expenses and profit or excess of funds 
received for that student over funds expended, if any, together 
with a comparison with those same proportionate expenditures in the 
public school system from which the students came;
	The financial and managerial stability of the private schools 
that participated in the voucher program;
	Guidelines and methodology for assuring the appropriate 
usage of public funds given to private entities under a voucher 
program;
	Methodologies for monitoring and measuring relative student 
performance under a voucher program to assure appropriate academic 
achievement by voucher program participants; and
	A methodology for determining an appropriate voucher level 
for each particular student based on the variations in expenditures 
resulting from grade level, physical, educational and demographic 
differences between students.
	SECTION 3.  STUDY DESIGN.  The commissioner, in consultation 
with the school district or districts whose students participate in 
the pilot program, shall evaluate the program and report the 
evaluation, together with recommendations, to the legislature not 
later than December 1, 2006.
	SECTION 4.  EXPIRATION.  This subchapter expires September 
1, 2007           
	SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.