84R3062 KKA-F
 
  By: Garcia S.B. No. 556
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a comprehensive review by the Texas Education Agency of
  weights, allotments, and adjustments under the public school
  finance system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 42, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 42.010 to read as follows:
         Sec. 42.010.  COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE
  WEIGHTS, ALLOTMENTS, AND ADJUSTMENTS. (a) The agency shall
  conduct a comprehensive review of weights, allotments, and
  adjustments under the public school finance system, including all
  current weights, allotments, and adjustments provided under this
  chapter and any additional weights, allotments, and adjustments
  that the agency determines may be appropriate.  The review must
  determine the effectiveness of existing weights, allotments, and
  adjustments in fulfilling the mission of the public education
  system stated in Section 4.001(a) and furthering the state policy
  stated in Section 42.001. At a minimum, the review must determine
  how closely and appropriately each of the following elements
  reflects and provides financing for costs beyond the control of
  school districts:
               (1)  adjustments for costs related to the geographic
  variation in known resource costs and costs of education,
  controlling for the impact of unequalized wealth and hold-harmless
  provisions, and properly reflecting the impact of high
  concentrations of poverty on the compensation that school districts
  must pay to attract and retain teachers of comparable or
  appropriate quality;
               (2)  adjustments for costs related to the size and
  diseconomies of scale of school districts;
               (3)  adjustments for costs related to the varying
  instructional needs and characteristics of students and the extent
  to which the adjustments provide each student with access to
  programs and services that are appropriate to the student's
  educational needs;
               (4)  other factors, in addition to economic status,
  that correlate to at-risk status and the need for compensatory
  education, and the degree to which those factors correspond to
  additional educational costs; and
               (5)  the manner in which the cost adjustments are
  applied to and affect the overall school finance system.
         (b)  The review of the adjustments described in Subsection
  (a)(1) must:
               (1)  address all uncontrollable costs that can
  reasonably be quantified;
               (2)  consider the qualifications, experience, and
  turnover rate of personnel and the impact of those factors on
  student achievement in considering the adequacy and comparability
  of salaries;
               (3)  properly address the impact of factors that have a
  large impact on certain types of school districts, such as extreme
  isolation, regardless of general state impact;
               (4)  include only factors for which a rational economic
  argument can be made;
               (5)  be carefully constructed to make sure that a cost
  factor does not significantly affect more than one variable; and
               (6)  not be artificially adjusted to meet predetermined
  outcomes and must not use arbitrary limits.
         (c)  In determining whether any additional weights,
  allotments, and adjustments are appropriate under the public school
  finance system, as required by Subsection (a), the agency shall
  include consideration of an additional weight for educational
  services provided to students in prekindergarten on a half-day
  basis and on a full-day basis.
         (d)  The agency may contract with one or more consultants if
  necessary to enable the agency to perform its duties under this
  section.
         (e)  The Legislative Budget Board, the comptroller, the
  state auditor, and any other state agency, official, or personnel
  shall cooperate with the agency in carrying out its duties under
  this section.
         (f)  Not later than December 1, 2016, the agency shall
  provide a report that:
               (1)  states the findings of the review conducted under
  this section; and
               (2)  includes recommendations for updated weights,
  allotments, and adjustments and any other statutory changes
  considered appropriate by the agency.
         (g)  This section expires January 1, 2017.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.