AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Open-enrollment public charter school students in Texas are currently funded based on a calculation of the statewide average of Foundation School Program dollars provided to independent school districts. Unlike independent school districts, public charter schools do not receive direct state aid for facilities and do not levy an ad valorem tax to support their schools. As a result, students enrolled in public charter school receive, on average, $1000 less Foundation School Program funding than students enrolled in independent school district campuses.
C.S.S.B. 1900 provides funding per public charter student in an amount equal to the state average state funding generated to independent school districts by the instructional facilities allotment and the existing debt allotment.
C.S.S.B. 1900 amends current law relating to funding for an open-enrollment charter school based on average amounts collected by school districts under the instructional facilities allotment and the existing debt allotment.
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 Section 12.106, Education Code, by adding Subsection (d), to entitle a charter holder, in addition to other amounts provided by this section, to receive for the open-enrollment charter school funding per student in average daily attendance in an amount equal to the state average amount of revenue per student in average daily attendance collected by independent school districts under Sections 46.003(a) (providing that a school district, for each year, is guaranteed a specified amount per student in state and local funds for each cent of tax effort, up to a certain maximum rate, to pay the principal of and interest on eligible bonds issued to construct, acquire, renovate, or improve an instructional facility) and 46.032(a) (providing that each school district is guaranteed a specified amount per student in state and local funds for each cent of tax effort to pay the principal of and interest on eligible bonds and sets forth a formula).
SECTION 2. Provides that Section 12.106(d), Education Code, as added by this Act, applies to funding per student in average daily attendance at an open-enrollment charter school for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years only if the 84th Legislature makes a specific appropriation to implement that provision.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2015.