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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study to determine public school facility needs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 44, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 44.904 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 44.904. STUDY REGARDING PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITY NEEDS; |
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RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commissioner shall study public school |
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facility needs and make recommendations for meeting five-year and |
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ten-year facility needs. |
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(b) The commissioner may work with institutions of higher |
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education, nonprofit organizations, private organizations, |
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regional education service centers, or school districts to conduct |
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the study. |
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(c) The study must include an assessment of the five-year |
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and ten-year facility needs of public schools and school districts |
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that represent a variety of geographic regions, including: |
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(1) inner-urban school districts; |
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(2) small and rural school districts; |
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(3) fast-growth school districts; |
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(4) suburban school districts; |
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(5) open-enrollment charter schools; |
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(6) property-wealthy school districts; and |
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(7) property-poor school districts. |
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(d) For purposes of Subsection (c), a fast-growth school |
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district is a school district that has an enrollment of more than |
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3,400 students and has had an increase in student enrollment of at |
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least 10 percent over the five school years preceding the 2013-2014 |
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school year or a district that has had a net increase in enrollment |
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of at least 5,000 students in any one of the five school years |
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preceding the 2013-2014 school year. The commissioner by rule |
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shall establish criteria for the other district categories |
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specified by Subsection (c). |
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(e) The study must include a survey of: |
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(1) portable and non-permanent buildings used as |
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school facilities; |
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(2) the cost of school facilities; and |
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(3) utility efficiencies. |
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(f) The study must include recommendations for meeting: |
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(1) the five-year and ten-year facility needs of each |
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public school and school district type listed in Subsection (c); |
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and |
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(2) the unique facility needs of public schools in |
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border areas, inner-urban areas, and disaster-prone areas such as |
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coastal areas. |
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(g) In developing recommendations required under Subsection |
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(f), the commissioner shall consider: |
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(1) growing construction costs; |
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(2) construction methods; and |
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(3) potential cost savings that may be achieved by |
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renovating facilities with energy-efficient utilities. |
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(h) Not later than September 1, 2014, the commissioner shall |
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submit the results of the study and recommendations to the |
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governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
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representatives, and the standing legislative committees with |
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primary jurisdiction over public education. |
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(i) The agency shall post the results of the study and |
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recommendations on the agency's Internet website. |
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(j) This section expires September 1, 2015. |
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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, 2013. |