85R14479 PAM-F
 
  By: Campbell S.B. No. 1883
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the approval of open-enrollment charter schools and the
  review of challenges by open-enrollment charter schools or school
  districts to accountability determinations.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 12.101(b), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  After thoroughly investigating and evaluating an
  applicant, the commissioner[, in coordination with a member of the
  State Board of Education designated for the purpose by the chair of
  the board,] may grant a charter for an open-enrollment charter
  school only to an applicant that meets any financial, governing,
  educational, and operational standards adopted by the commissioner
  under this subchapter, that the commissioner determines is capable
  of carrying out the responsibilities provided by the charter and
  likely to operate a school of high quality, and that:
               (1)  has not within the preceding 10 years had a charter
  under this chapter or a similar charter issued under the laws of
  another state surrendered under a settlement agreement, revoked,
  denied renewal, or returned; or
               (2)  is not, under rules adopted by the commissioner,
  considered to be a corporate affiliate of or substantially related
  to an entity that has within the preceding 10 years had a charter
  under this chapter or a similar charter issued under the laws of
  another state surrendered under a settlement agreement, revoked,
  denied renewal, or returned.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 12.1102 to read as follows:
         Sec. 12.1102.  APPEAL OF APPLICATION SELECTION
  DETERMINATION. (a) This section applies only if the charter
  application selection process includes:
               (1)  scoring criteria and procedures for use of the
  criteria by an external application review panel selected by the
  commissioner; and
               (2)  selection criteria that include the minimum score
  necessary for an applicant to be eligible for selection.
         (b)  The commissioner shall adopt procedures for the appeal
  of an application selection determination made based on the
  submission of an application under a process described by
  Subsection (a).
         (c)  The procedures adopted under this section must provide
  for an applicant who scores within 10 percent of the minimum score
  necessary for an applicant to be eligible for selection to appeal to
  the commissioner a score determined by the external application
  review panel.
         (d)  The commissioner's determination in an appeal under the
  procedures adopted under this section is final.
         SECTION 3.  Section 12.1141, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:
         (d-1)  The commissioner may not allow the charter of an
  open-enrollment charter school to expire as provided by Subsection
  (d) if for one of the school years the commissioner considers in
  making a decision the school is not rated as provided by Section
  39.151(c-1).
         SECTION 4.  Section 12.115, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
         (c-1)  The commissioner may not revoke the charter of an
  open-enrollment charter school as provided by Subsection (c) if for
  one of the school years the commissioner considers in making a
  decision the school is not rated as provided by Section
  39.151(c-1).
         SECTION 5.  Section 39.151, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c-1) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  The rules under Subsection (a) must provide for the
  commissioner to appoint a committee to make recommendations to the
  commissioner on a challenge made to an agency decision relating to
  an academic performance rating or determination or financial
  accountability rating. The committee shall review any challenge
  regardless of the basis identified in the challenge by the school
  district or open-enrollment charter school for the rating or
  determination. The commissioner may not appoint an agency employee
  as a member of a [the] committee.
         (c-1)  The commissioner may not limit a challenge relating to
  a data or calculation error or inaccuracy attributable to the
  school district or open-enrollment charter school, even if the
  challenge demonstrates that the data or calculation error or
  inaccuracy caused the district or school to have a lower academic
  performance rating or financial accountability rating. If a
  challenge demonstrates that the data or calculation error or
  inaccuracy caused the district or school to have a lower academic
  performance rating or financial accountability rating, the
  commissioner shall:
               (1)  assign the district or school the corrected
  rating; or
               (2)  indicate for that school year that the district or
  school is not rated.
         SECTION 6.  Section 12.101(b-0), Education Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 7.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the commissioner of education shall adopt procedures
  for the appeal of an application selection determination as
  provided by Section 12.1102, Education Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 8.  Section 12.1102, Education Code, as added by
  this Act, applies only to an application submitted on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 9.  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, 2017.