81R3088 CAS-D

By: Seliger S.B. No. 400

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an electronic course pilot program in the Amarillo Independent School District.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 29.9091 to read as follows:

Sec. 29.9091. AMARILLO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTRONIC COURSE PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:

(1) "Electronic course" has the meaning assigned by Section 29.909(a).

(2) "District" or "school district" means the Amarillo Independent School District.

(3) "Program" means the pilot program offered by the Amarillo Independent School District in which district students participating in the program take only or primarily electronic courses.

(b) The board of trustees of the Amarillo Independent School District shall develop and implement a pilot program under which district students participating in the program enroll in electronic courses for the students' full academic course load. A student participating in the program is not required to take an electronic course in the case of a course that requires a student's physical presence, such as band, choir, or a physical education course.

(c) The school district may offer the program's electronic courses through one or more designated campuses or by serving students throughout the district.

(d) The board of trustees of the school district shall select students to participate in the program based on criteria the board adopts and applications submitted by the students. The board shall establish the form of the application and the procedure and any deadline for submitting an application to the board.

(e) The school district may not:

(1) require a student to participate in the program; or

(2) permit more than 20 district students to participate in the program each school year.

(f) The board of trustees of the school district shall:

(1) establish a method to verify completion of course work and attendance in a course by students participating in the program;

(2) ensure that a student participating in the program is:

(A) placed in the appropriate academic level; and

(B) enrolled in courses that the student is required or permitted to take under Subchapter A, Chapter 28; and

(3) ensure that each course in which a student participating in the program is enrolled meets the essential knowledge and skills requirement under Subchapter A, Chapter 28.

(g) The school district may not impose a charge on a student participating in the program that is not authorized by this code to be imposed on a district student who is not participating in the program.

(h) The school district's average daily attendance includes a student participating in the program to the same extent as if the student were participating in regular district courses. The district is entitled to receive state funding for a student participating in the program in an amount equal to the funding the district would be entitled to receive if the student were participating in regular courses in the district.

(i) The board of trustees of the school district shall cooperate with the commissioner, the comptroller, the Department of Information Resources, or any other state agency or commission in adopting technical standards for auditing or verifying student attendance in an electronic course in the program.

(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, on application of the board of trustees of the school district, the commissioner may waive a requirement, restriction, or prohibition imposed by this code or by a rule adopted under this code to the extent necessary to implement or administer the program.

(k) This section expires September 1, 2011.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.