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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an interim study to determine public school facility |
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needs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 44, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 44.907 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 44.907. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITY |
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NEEDS; ADVISORY PANEL. (a) The commissioner shall establish an |
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advisory panel to conduct a study of public school facilities |
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needs. The advisory panel is composed of nine members as follows: |
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(1) one member is the state demographer or the state |
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demographer's designee; |
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(2) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of a small school district subject to Chapter 41; |
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(3) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of a small district not subject to Chapter 41; |
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(4) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of a midsize district subject to Chapter 41; |
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(5) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of a midsize district not subject to Chapter 41; |
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(6) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of an urban district subject to Chapter 41; |
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(7) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of an urban district not subject to Chapter 41; |
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(8) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of a rural district subject to Chapter 41; and |
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(9) one member who is a superintendent or a chief |
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financial officer of a rural district not subject to Chapter 41. |
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(b) The commissioner shall by rule establish criteria for |
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the school district categories specified by Subsection (a). |
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(c) The commissioner shall designate one member of the |
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advisory panel as the presiding officer. |
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(d) The state demographer shall design a survey to request |
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that each school district project the facilities needs of the |
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district for the next five years by: |
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(1) identifying the number of: |
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(A) new facilities needed; and |
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(B) potential projects requiring the expansion |
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or renovation of existing facilities; and |
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(2) classifying each item listed in Subdivision (1) by |
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academic level and purpose, including administrative, |
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instructional, athletic, or support. |
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(e) After the state demographer has designed the survey, the |
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advisory panel shall review the survey to determine if: |
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(1) the survey is properly designed to obtain the |
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information intended to be obtained; and |
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(2) each school district can reasonably complete the |
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survey. |
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(f) The advisory panel may require the state demographer to |
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make changes to the survey, including providing or requesting |
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additional information. |
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(g) After the advisory panel approves the survey, each |
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regional education service center shall: |
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(1) distribute the survey to each school district in |
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the region; |
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(2) provide a method for each district to return the |
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survey results to the regional education service center; and |
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(3) report the results collected in response to the |
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survey to the advisory panel. |
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(h) Not later than September 1, 2010, the advisory panel |
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shall report the results and any conclusions the advisory panel |
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draws from the results to the agency, the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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standing legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over |
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public education. |
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(i) In addition to the survey described by Subsection (d), |
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the state demographer shall provide to the advisory panel a |
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projection of student enrollment growth in each school district for |
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the next 10 years. |
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(j) This section expires September 1, 2011. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |