AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Currently, a school district is not required to pay a student's tuition or other associated costs for taking a course that provides college credit (e.g., dual credit, International Baccalaureate, or Advanced Placement courses).  However, this provision is set to expire on September 1, 2011.

 

In 2008-2009 the Texas Education Agency (TEA) sent notice to districts stating that a school district could not count students in attendance for state funding purposes in dual credit courses if those students were charged any tuition, fees, or textbook costs.  Due to concerns raised by legislators, TEA delayed implementing the policy until the legislature had a chance to address the issue during the 81st Legislature.

 

During the 81st Legislature, H.B. 3646 was amended to allow districts to continue to count students in attendance for state funding purposes if those students pay any portion of tuition, fees, or textbook costs until September 1, 2011.  S.B. 1619 removes the expiration date on this provision.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1619 amends current law relating to the calculation of average daily attendance for a public school student participating in the college credit program.

 

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 Subsection (a-2), Section 28.009, Education Code, to delete existing text providing that this subsection (relating to a school district not being required to pay a student's tuition or other associated costs for taking a course under this section) expires September 1, 2011.

 

SECTION 2.  Reenacts Subsection (g), Section 42.005, Education Code, as amended by Chapter 1328 (H.B. 3646), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, to require that the course, if a student may receive course credit toward the student's high school academic requirements and toward the student's higher education academic requirements for a single course, including a course provided under Section 28.009 (College Credit Program) by a public institution of higher education, the time during which the student attends the course, to be counted as part of the minimum number of instructional hours required for a student to be considered a full-time student in average daily attendance for purposes of this section.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2011.