By: Thompson, Miles (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 1555

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2011; April 14, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 28, 2011, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 1; April 28, 2011, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1555 By: Shapiro

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the first day of instruction in certain school districts that provide additional days of instruction financed with local funds.

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

SECTION 1. Section 25.0811(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by this section, a [A] school district may not begin instruction for students for a school year before the fourth Monday in August. A school district may:

(1) begin instruction for students for a school year before the fourth Monday in August if [unless] the district operates a year-round system under Section 25.084; 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:

(A) the district has a student enrollment of 150,000 or more;

(B) 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;

(C) the campus or each of the multiple campuses are undergoing comprehensive reform, as determined by the board of trustees of the district; and

(D) a majority of the students at the campus or at each of the multiple campuses are educationally disadvantaged.

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, 2011.

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