By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 1822
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.