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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to public notice requirements and other provisions |
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applicable to the board of trustees of a school district proposing |
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to close a district campus. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 11.163 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 11.163. CAMPUS CLOSURES. (a) If the board of trustees |
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of a school district proposes to close a campus, the board must: |
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(1) send written notice of the proposed closure by |
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regular mail to the parent of each child who would otherwise attend |
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the campus during the first school year that the campus is proposed |
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to be closed; |
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(2) provide a period of at least 90 days after the date |
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notice is sent under Subdivision (1) for soliciting and considering |
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public comment regarding the proposed closure; |
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(3) promptly make district documents associated with |
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the proposed closure, other than documents that are confidential |
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under law, available to the public through the Internet and by other |
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means for persons without Internet access; and |
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(4) hold one or more public meetings during the period |
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described by Subdivision (2) at which the district superintendent |
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and board members are available to answer questions and receive |
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comments, including questions and comments relating to the |
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documents made available under Subdivision (3). |
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(b) If, after conclusion of the period described by |
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Subsection (a)(2) and consideration of public comments, the board |
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of trustees continues to conclude that the campus should be closed, |
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the district must develop a written closure plan that: |
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(1) describes the ways in which each affected child's |
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education will be altered as a result of the closure; |
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(2) identifies each educational program available at |
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the campus being closed that will not be available at each campus to |
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which students will be transferred as a result of the closure; |
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(3) describes the effect of the closure on student |
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safety, including such elements as the number of registered sex |
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offenders residing in the vicinity of each campus to which students |
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will be transferred as a result of the closure; and |
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(4) addresses questions and comments raised by the |
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public during the period described by Subsection (a)(2). |
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(c) The district must make the closure plan required by |
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Subsection (b) available to the public through the Internet and by |
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other appropriate means for persons without Internet access. |
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(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, if |
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any members of the board of trustees of a school district are |
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elected from single-member trustee districts, the board may not |
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close a campus unless: |
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(1) the board includes a member representing the |
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single-member trustee district that includes the territory in which |
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the campus to be closed is located; and |
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(2) the member described by Subdivision (1) attends |
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each public meeting held under Subsection (a)(4). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |