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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to minimum public school attendance for class credit or a |
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final grade. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Section 25.092, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.092. MINIMUM ATTENDANCE FOR CLASS CREDIT OR FINAL |
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GRADE.
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SECTION 2. Subsections (a), (a-1), (b), and (d), Section |
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25.092, Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by this section, a student in any |
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grade level from kindergarten through grade 12 may not be given
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credit or a final grade for a class unless the student is in
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attendance for at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. |
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(a-1) A student who is in attendance for at least 75 percent |
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but less than 90 percent of the days a class is offered may be given |
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credit or a final grade for the class if the student completes a
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plan approved by the school's principal that provides for the |
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student to meet the instructional requirements of the class. A |
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student under the jurisdiction of a court in a criminal or juvenile |
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justice proceeding may not receive credit or a final grade under
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this subsection without the consent of the judge presiding over the |
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student's case. |
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(b) The board of trustees of each school district shall |
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appoint one or more attendance committees to hear petitions for |
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class credit or a final grade by students who are in attendance
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fewer than the number of days required under Subsection (a) and have |
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not earned class credit or a final grade under Subsection (a-1).
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Classroom teachers shall comprise a majority of the membership of |
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the committee. A committee may give class credit or a final grade
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to a student because of extenuating circumstances. Each board of |
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trustees shall establish guidelines to determine what constitutes |
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extenuating circumstances and shall adopt policies establishing |
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alternative ways for students to make up work or regain credit or a |
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final grade lost because of absences. The alternative ways must
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include at least one option that does not require a student to pay a |
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fee authorized under Section 11.158(a)(15). A certified public |
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school employee may not be assigned additional instructional duties |
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as a result of this section outside of the regular workday unless |
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the employee is compensated for the duties at a reasonable rate of |
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pay. |
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(d) If a student is denied credit or a final grade for a
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class by an attendance committee, the student may appeal the |
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decision to the board of trustees. The decision of the board may be |
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appealed by trial de novo to the district court of the county in |
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which the school district's central administrative office is |
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located. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. 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. |