BILL ANALYSIS
By: Vo
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The 79th Legislature mandated that school districts hold joint elections with a municipality, county, or the state. Approximately 50 to 70 districts must change from May to November elections either because they are not part of a municipality that has a May election or because the district is not located in a city and therefore, must partner with the county or state.
Several years ago, the Legislature provided districts sufficient time to change the length of their terms in response to new legislation. Now that another change has been mandated, it is only fair to open the window again for a short time.
This bill would give school districts until the end of 2007 to change to three- or four-year terms, which would enable them to partner with one entity. Another benefit of this bill is that voters will become accustomed to seeing school board races on their ballots during city elections instead of on different types of elections year after year.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
The bill amends the Education Code to authorize the board of trustees of school districts to change the length of the terms of its trustees to either three or four years. The bill requires that
trustees must specify the manner in which the transition from the length of the former term to the new modified term is made. The bill requires that the transition must begin with the first regular election for trustees that occurs after January 1, 2008. The bill also requires that a trustee who serves on that date serve the remainder of that term. This amendment by the bill to the education code would expire on January 1, 2013.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.