BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2062

By: Watson

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent legislation established the adult high school diploma and industry certification charter school pilot program. Several years prior to the adoption of that legislation, the legislature took steps to separate traditional students from older, nontraditional students, and current law prohibits a student who is 21 years of age or older, who is admitted by a school district to complete the requirements for a high school diploma, and who has not attended school in the three preceding school years from being placed with a student who is 18 years of age or younger in a classroom setting, cafeteria, or other district-sanctioned school activity. Interested parties consider this separation impractical for an entity granted a charter to operate both an adult education program and a dropout recovery school serving students 17 years of age and older. S.B. 2062 seeks to address this issue.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2062 amends the Education Code to authorize an entity granted a charter to operate an open-enrollment charter school designated as a dropout recovery school, if the enrollment of the school consists only of students 17 years of age and older, and a charter to provide an adult education program under a high school diploma and industry certification charter school pilot program, for the purpose of providing services to students enrolled in the charter school and the adult education program, to place students, regardless of their age, at the same facility and in the same classroom setting or learning environment, the same cafeteria, or the same activity sanctioned by the school and the program, beginning with the 2015–2016 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.