BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 800
79R5500 BDH-D By: Lucio
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, a school district trustee term of office may be for either three or four years.
As proposed, S.B. 800 extends the terms of school board trustees to four years and implements simultaneous school board elections. This bill will provide continuity among school boards, encourage long-range planning, and reduce board election expenses.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.059(a) and (c), Education Code, as follows:
(a) Provides that a trustee of an independent school district serves a term of four, rather than three or four, years.
(c) Requires elections for trustees to be held every four years, rather than biennially. Deletes existing text referring to terms of trustees expiring every two years.
SECTION 2. Repealer: Sections 11.059(b) (pertaining to elections of trustees with three-year terms) and (d) (Pertaining to elections of trustees with four-year terms), Education Code.
SECTION 3. (a) Provides that Section 11.059, Education Code, as amended by this Act, applied to a school district trustee election scheduled to be held on or after November 8, 2005.
(b) Requires a school district board of trustees to hold an election under Section 11.059, Education Code, as amended by this Act, on May 6, 2006, or November 7, 2006, as determined by the board.
(c) Authorizes a person to serve a term as a school district trustee that is shorter or longer than the term for which the person was elected to implement the changes made by this Act.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.