BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1326

By: Guillen

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that current law does not provide sufficient direction for school districts wishing to provide a flexible school day program. C.S.H.B. 1326 seeks to remedy this situation by authorizing a school district to apply to provide such a program for students who the district determines would benefit from the program.

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

C.S.H.B. 1326 amends the Education Code to authorize a school district to apply to the commissioner of education to provide a flexible school day program for students who attend a campus that would benefit from the program, as determined by the district. The bill makes this provision applicable beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1326 omits provisions included in the original authorizing a school district to operate so that during the school year the district provides four days of instruction for students per week; requiring a participating district to extend the school day at each district school; establishing that the amount of state funding to which a district is entitled is not affected by the district's operation of a four-day week; requiring the district to notify the commissioner of education of the district's intention to operate on a four-day week; and requiring the commissioner to adopt any other rules necessary for the administration of these provisions.

C.S.H.B. 1326 omits provisions included in the original requiring the commissioner to reduce the number of days of service required in an educator contract for an educator employed by a school district operating on a four-day week; specifying that such a reduction does not reduce an educator's salary; and providing that, for purposes of determining funding under the Foundation School Program, the average daily attendance for a school operating on the basis of a reduced number of days of instruction and a longer school day is the quotient of the sum of attendance for each day of instruction divided by the number of days of instruction.

C.S.H.B. 1326 contains a provision not included in the original authorizing a district to apply to the commissioner to provide a flexible school day program for students who attend a campus that would benefit from the program, as determined by the district.