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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the first and last days of instruction and the number of |
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hours in a school day at a public school. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.0811(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by this section, a school district |
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may not begin instruction for students for a school year before the |
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Tuesday after Labor Day [the fourth Monday in August]. A school |
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district may: |
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(1) begin instruction for students for a school year |
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before the Tuesday after Labor Day [the fourth Monday in August] if |
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the district operates a year-round system under Section 25.084; or |
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(2) begin instruction for students for a school year |
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on or after the first Monday in August at a campus or at not more |
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than 20 percent of the campuses in the district if: |
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(A) the district has a student enrollment of |
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190,000 or more; |
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(B) the district at the beginning of the school |
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year provides, financed with local funds, days of instruction for |
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students at the campus or at each of the multiple campuses, in |
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addition to the minimum number of days of instruction required |
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under Section 25.081; |
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(C) the campus or each of the multiple campuses |
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is [are] undergoing comprehensive reform, as determined by the |
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board of trustees of the district; and |
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(D) a majority of the students at the campus or at |
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each of the multiple campuses are educationally disadvantaged. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 25.0812 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 25.0812. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. (a) Except as provided |
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by Subsection (b), a school district may not schedule the last day |
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of school for students for a school year after the Friday preceding |
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Memorial Day. |
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(b) A school district may schedule the last day of school |
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for students for a school year after the Friday preceding Memorial |
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Day if the district operates a year-round system under Section |
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25.084. |
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(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a school district that |
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does not offer each grade level from kindergarten through grade 12 |
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and whose prospective or former students generally attend school in |
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another state for the grade levels the district does not offer may |
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schedule the last day of school on any date permitted under |
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Subsection (a) or the law of the other state. |
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SECTION 3. Section 25.082(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A school day shall be at least 7.5 [seven] hours each |
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day, including intermissions and recesses. |
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SECTION 4. Section 25.084(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A school district may operate its schools year-round on |
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either a single-track or a multitrack calendar. If a school |
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district adopts a year-round system, the district may modify: |
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(1) the number of contract days of employees and the |
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number of days of operation, including any time required for staff |
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development, planning and preparation, and continuing education, |
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otherwise required by law; |
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(2) testing dates, data reporting, and related |
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matters; |
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(3) the date of the first day of instruction of the |
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school year under Section 25.0811 and the date of the last day of |
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school for a school year under Section 25.0812 for a school that was |
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operating year-round for the 2014-2015 [2000-2001] school year; and |
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(4) a student's eligibility to participate in |
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extracurricular activities when the student's calendar track is not |
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in session. |
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SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 6. 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. |