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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the conversion of certain public school campuses to |
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charter campuses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 12, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 12.0522 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.0522. ALTERNATIVE AUTHORIZATION: CERTAIN |
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UNACCEPTABLE CAMPUSES. (a) In accordance with this subchapter, |
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the board of trustees of a school district shall grant a charter to |
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parents for a campus if: |
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(1) the board is presented with a petition signed by |
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the parents of a majority of the students at that campus; and |
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(2) the campus has been assigned a rating of |
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unacceptable performance under Section 39.054 for the two preceding |
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school years. |
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(b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), the signature of only |
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one parent for each student is required. |
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(c) Not later than January 1 of each year, the commissioner |
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shall, based on the most recent information available, provide |
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notice to each school district in which a campus described by |
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Subsection (a)(2) is located that identifies each campus in the |
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district that meets the description in Subsection (a)(2). Not |
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later than February 1 of each year, a district shall notify the |
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parent of each student in the district assigned to attend a campus |
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described by Subsection (a)(2) that the parents are entitled to |
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petition the district to convert the campus to a charter campus as |
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provided by this section. The notice must contain a clear, concise |
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explanation of the petition and charter conversion process and of |
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the manner in which the parent may obtain further information about |
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the process. |
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(d) After the board of trustees of a school district |
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receives a petition under Subsection (a), the board shall issue a |
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request for proposals to select an entity to contract with the |
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district to provide educational services through the campus. |
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(e) The board of trustees of the school district shall |
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appoint a committee to, in accordance with board of trustees |
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policy, review each proposal submitted by an entity as provided by |
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Subsection (d) and make a recommendation regarding selection to the |
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board. The committee members must include members of the board of |
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trustees, district educators, and parents who signed the petition |
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under Subsection (a). At least two-thirds of the members appointed |
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to the committee must be parents who signed the petition under |
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Subsection (a). A parent who is a district employee is not |
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considered a parent member of the committee. |
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(f) The school district shall follow the recommendation of |
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the committee appointed under Subsection (e) to the greatest extent |
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practicable. |
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(g) If a school district fails to take the actions required |
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under this section, the parents may appeal to the commissioner and |
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the commissioner may take action to compel the district to act or |
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act on behalf of the district under this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |