BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1374
79R7467 ESH-F By: Staples
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current Texas law authorizes the commissioner of education to exempt a school district from a class size limit if the commissioner finds the limit creates an undue hardship on the district. Waiver exceptions can be granted for hardships such as teacher shortages, facility shortages, or unanticipated enrollment growth. Current law also requires a campus or district that is granted an exception to notify the parent of or a person standing in parental relation to each student.
As proposed, S.B. 1374 requires campuses and districts to notify parents before submitting a request for a class size waiver. This written notice must be provided no later than the 10th business day after the date the campus or school district submits a request for an exception.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 25.113, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 25.113. NOTICE OF CLASS SIZE. (a) Requires a campus or school district, before obtaining an exception under Section 25.112(d) from class size limits, to provide written notice of the application for an exception to the parent of or person standing in parental relation to each student affected by the exception. Requires the notice to be in conspicuous bold or underlined print and specify the class for which an exception from the limit imposed by Section 25.112(a) is sought, rather than granted. Makes a conforming change.
(b) Requires the notice required by Subsection (a) to be provided no later than the 10th business day, rather than the 31st, after the date the campus or school district submits the application for an exception to the commissioner of education. Deletes existing text regarding deadlines for the disbursement of the notice.
SECTION 2. Makes application of Act prospective to the 2005-2006 school year.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2005.