AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
S.B. 949 would allow a school district with a student population of 190,000 or more, campuses undergoing reform, and students who are determined to be educationally disadvantaged to add additional days to the beginning of the school year financed with local funds. S.B. 949 allows districts to begin instruction before the fourth Monday in August without applying for and receiving a waiver from the state.
As proposed, S.B. 949 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) Creates this subsection from existing text. 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, rather than 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 (Year-Round System). Authorizes a school district to 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 or to 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 190,000 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 or at each of the multiple campuses are educationally disadvantaged.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.