79S10479 JLZ-D

By:  Dutton                                                     H.C.R. No. 18 



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The system of public education in Texas is vast and 
complex, encompassing the State Board of Education, the Texas 
Education Agency, 20 regional education service centers, and 1,037 
school districts and 190 charter holders operating more than 7,800 
campuses, including 274 charter school campuses; and
	WHEREAS, At the school district level, there are numerous 
differences in local operations as districts vary greatly according 
to community type, wealth, and size, with corresponding variations 
in both their access to resources and in their ability to use 
available resources efficiently; and
	WHEREAS, During the 2003-2004 school year, for example, there 
were 14 districts, each with a student population of more than 
50,000, that combined served more than a quarter of the state's 4.3 
million students; conversely, there were nearly 500 districts and 
charter holders that each served fewer than 500 students and that, 
in the aggregate, served fewer than three percent of the total 
student population; and
	WHEREAS, The last major reorganization of the state's public 
school system came in 1949 when the Texas Legislature passed a 
series of laws that collectively became known as the Gilmer-Aikin 
laws; a comprehensive reform package of bills based on the 
recommendations of the Gilmer-Aikin Committee, these laws included 
several provisions intended to increase administrative efficiency 
in local school operations; and
	WHEREAS, The committee, in its report to the legislature, 
recognized the desirability of consolidating numerous small school 
systems into larger units of administration, noting that only "one 
third of the local administrative units in Texas are large enough to 
administer a modern educational program," and one of the most 
dramatic effects of the Gilmer-Aikin laws was the significant 
reduction in the number of school districts in the state; and
	WHEREAS, More than 50 years have passed since the 
Gilmer-Aikin Committee conducted its landmark study, however, and 
during that interval Texas has undergone many changes; given the 
nature and scope of these changes, including dramatic population 
growth and redistribution of the population, it is appropriate to 
examine once again the local operation and organization of the 
state's public schools; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas, 
1st Called Session, hereby request the lieutenant governor and the 
speaker of the house of representatives to create a select 
committee on education to conduct an interim study on the creation, 
consolidation, and abolition of school districts in the State of 
Texas; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the governor be invited to appoint four 
members to the committee and to appoint one member to serve as chair 
of the committee; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be 
governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim 
committees as the 79th Legislature, 1st Called Session, may adopt 
and that such rules and policies supersede the provisions of this 
resolution to the extent of any conflict; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including 
findings and recommendations, to the 80th Texas Legislature when it 
convenes in January 2007.