BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1274
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, Young County is in the service area of Ranger Junior College (Ranger). Ranger offers courses toward an associate’s degree via distance learning, the internet, and some direct instruction courses. It has also offered dual credit courses facilitated by the local school district, although Ranger has indicated they are no longer interested in providing such courses. Ranger, in collaboration with Texas State Technical College at Breckenridge, has also offered a building trades program for a small number of students. Finally, Ranger has offered a locally subsidized licensed vocational nurse (LVN) program. However, the Ranger Board of Regents recently voted to discontinue offering this program in Young County.
Many residents in Young County have expressed a desire to expand the educational opportunities for their high school students to offer courses for associate degrees. A collaboration of business, education, and economic development leaders is working to establish a Graham Education and Workforce Center. The group has secured a building and the resources necessary to provide a wide range of educational opportunities, workforce development services, and economic development activities for the citizens in this part of the state, that will become a model for rural West Texas communities.
H.B. 1274 takes Young County out of the service area of the Ranger Junior College District to allow for the new Graham Center to serve the county.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 130.196, Education Code, to delete Young County from the territory of the service area of the Ranger Junior College District (district).
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective to the 2005 fall semester, except that during the 2005-2006 academic year the district may continue to treat the area removed by this Act from the district's service area as if the area were still in the district's service area as necessary to avoid an unreasonable interruption of junior college services in the area.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.
SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1:
Amends H.B. 1274 by striking amended Subdivision (2), Section 130.196, Education Code (House engrossment, page 1, line 12), by striking Subdivision (2), and substituting the following:
(2) Comanche, Brown, Erath, and Young Counties, except for the part of the Graham Independent School District that is located in Young County