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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the state virtual school network, including student |
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eligibility, course provider eligibility, and funding for certain |
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providers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 26.0031(c), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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deny a request to enroll a student in an electronic course if: |
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(1) a student attempts to enroll in a course load that |
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is inconsistent with the student's high school graduation plan or |
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requirements for college admission or earning an industry |
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certification; or |
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(2) the student requests permission to enroll in an |
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electronic course at a time that is not consistent with the |
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enrollment period established by the school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school providing the course[; or
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[(3)
the district or school offers a substantially
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similar course]. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 30A.002(a) and (c), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A student is eligible to enroll in one or more courses [a
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course] provided through the state virtual school network [only if
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the student:
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[(1) on September 1 of the school year:
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[(A) is younger than 21 years of age; or
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[(B)
is younger than 26 years of age and entitled
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to the benefits of the Foundation School Program under Section
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42.003;
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[(2) has not graduated from high school; and
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[(3)
is otherwise eligible to enroll in a public
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school in this state]. |
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(c) Notwithstanding Subsection [(a)(3) or] (b), a student |
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is eligible to enroll in one or more courses provided through the |
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state virtual school network or enroll full-time in courses |
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provided through the network if the student: |
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(1) is a dependent of a member of the United States |
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military; |
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(2) was previously enrolled in public [high] school in |
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this state; and |
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(3) does not reside in this state due to a military |
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deployment or transfer. |
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SECTION 3. Section 30A.101, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school is |
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eligible to act as a course provider under this chapter only if the |
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district or school is not rated unacceptable [acceptable] under |
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Section 39.054. [An open-enrollment charter school may serve as a
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course provider only:
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[(1) to a student within its service area; or
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[(2) to another student in the state:
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[(A)
through an agreement with the school
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district in which the student resides; or
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[(B)
if the student receives educational
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services under the supervision of a juvenile probation department,
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the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, or the Texas Department of
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Criminal Justice, through an agreement with the applicable agency.] |
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(c) A nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation is |
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eligible to act as a course provider under this chapter only if the |
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nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation: |
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(1) complies with all applicable federal and state |
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laws prohibiting discrimination; |
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(2) demonstrates financial solvency; and |
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(3) either: |
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(A) provides evidence of prior successful |
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experience offering online courses to middle or high school |
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students, with demonstrated student success in course completion |
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and performance, as determined by the commissioner; or |
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(B) provides evidence that it is capable of |
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carrying out the responsibilities of a course provider and is |
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likely to provide high quality courses, as determined by the |
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commissioner. |
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(e) The commissioner shall ensure that a course provider |
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does not continue to offer electronic courses through the state |
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virtual school network if: |
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(1) the course provider no longer satisfies |
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eligibility requirements under Subsection (a) or (c); or |
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(2) the course provider consistently produces poor |
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student performance outcomes, as determined by the commissioner. |
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SECTION 4. Section 30A.105(b), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) The administering authority shall establish the cost of |
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providing each [an] electronic course approved under Subsection |
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(a)[, which may not exceed $400 per student per course or $4,800 per
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full-time student]. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 30A.153(a) and (b), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A [Subject to the limitation imposed under Subsection
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(a-1), a] school district or open-enrollment charter school in |
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which a student is enrolled is entitled to funding under Chapter 42 |
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or in accordance with the terms of a charter granted under Section |
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12.101 for the student's enrollment in an electronic course offered |
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through the state virtual school network in the same manner that the |
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district or school is entitled to funding for the student's |
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enrollment in courses provided in a traditional classroom setting, |
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provided that the student successfully completes the electronic |
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course. |
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(b) The commissioner, after considering comments from |
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school district and open-enrollment charter school |
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representatives, shall adopt a standard agreement that governs the |
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costs, payment of funds, and other matters relating to a student's |
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enrollment in an electronic course offered through the state |
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virtual school network. The agreement may not require a school |
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district or open-enrollment charter school to pay the provider the |
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full amount until the student has successfully completed the |
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electronic course[, and the full amount may not exceed the limits
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specified by Section 30A.105(b)]. |
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SECTION 6. Sections 30A.155(a) and (c), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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charge a fee for enrollment in an electronic course provided |
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through the state virtual school network to a student who resides in |
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this state and[:
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[(1)] is enrolled in a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school as a full-time student with a course |
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load greater than that normally taken by students in the equivalent |
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grade level in other school districts or open-enrollment charter |
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schools[; or
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[(2)
elects to enroll in an electronic course provided
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through the network for which the school district or
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open-enrollment charter school in which the student is enrolled as
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a full-time student declines to pay the cost, as authorized by
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Section 26.0031(c-1)]. |
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(c) The amount of a fee charged a student under Subsection |
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(a), (a-1), or (b) for each electronic course in which the student |
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enrolls through the state virtual school network may not exceed |
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[the lesser of:
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[(1)] the cost of providing the course as established |
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by the administering authority under Section 30A.105[; or
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[(2) $400]. |
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SECTION 7. The following sections of the Education Code are |
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repealed: |
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(1) Section 26.0031(c-1); and |
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(2) Section 30A.153(a-1). |
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SECTION 8. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 9. 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, 2015. |