81R1593 CAS-D
 
  By: Madden H.B. No. 550
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to annual courses on public school finance offered to the
  public by regional education service centers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 8.052, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 8.052.  STATE INITIATIVES.  (a) As directed by the
  commissioner, each regional education service center shall, as
  necessary, use funds distributed under Section 8.123 to implement
  initiatives identified by the legislature, including the annual
  course on public school finance required by Subsection (b).
         (b)  Once each year, each regional education service center
  shall offer to members of the public who reside within the center's
  region a course on public school finance. The center may not charge
  a fee for a course provided under this subsection. The course must
  include information concerning the following:
               (1)  each source of public money used to finance public
  primary and secondary education in this state;
               (2)  the factors the board of trustees of a school
  district generally consider and the process a district generally
  uses in adopting ad valorem tax rates:
                     (A)  for district maintenance and operations; and
                     (B)  for purposes of paying the principal of and
  interest on district bonds;
               (3)  the effect of district spending decisions on
  district ad valorem tax rates;
               (4)  any reliable data concerning a correlation between
  the amount of money spent on education and the level of or
  improvement in student performance; and
               (5)  resources, including Internet websites, that may
  be useful in researching the amount and purposes of district
  expenditures.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.