AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

A large Texas school district recently launched an initiative to improve student academic achievement in certain school district schools.  One of the initiative's points of emphasis is increased instructional time, added at the beginning of the school year, to provide students additional time to prepare for statewide standardized tests in the spring.  However, given the current prohibition on school districts from starting student instruction earlier than the fourth Monday in August, legislative action is required to allow a district to extend the school year. 

 

C.S.H.B. 1555 amends current law relating to the first day of instruction in certain school districts that provide additional days of instruction financed with local funds.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 25.0811(a), Education Code, as follows:

 

(a) Prohibits a school district, except as provided by this section, from beginning instruction for students for a school year before the fourth Monday in August.  Authorizes a school district to:

 

(1) begin instruction for students for a school year before the fourth Monday in August if the district operates a year-round system under Section 25.084 (Year-Round System); or

 

(2) begin instruction for students for a school year on or after the first Monday in August at a campus or at not more than 20 percent of the campuses in the district if the district has a student enrollment of 150,000 or more; the district at the beginning of the school year provides, financed with local funds, days of instruction for students at the campus or at each of the multiple campuses, in addition to the minimum number of days of instruction required under Section 25.081 (Operation of Schools); the campus or each of the multiple campuses are undergoing comprehensive reform, as determined by the board of trustees of the district; and a majority of the students at the campus at each of the multiple campuses are educationally disadvantaged.

 

Deletes existing text prohibiting a school district from beginning instruction for students for a school year before the fourth Monday in August unless the district operates a year-round system under Section 25.084.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.