BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 55

By: González, Mary

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are calls for public school districts and certain private providers of prekindergarten programs to have class sizes and student/teacher ratios that enhance the quality of those programs. However, it has been noted that more information regarding those programs is needed before any changes can be made. C.S.H.B. 55 requires districts and certain private providers of prekindergarten programs to report certain information relating to prekindergarten students and teachers and requires the Texas Education Agency to report to the legislature the total number of teachers and teacher's aides in prekindergarten classes in Texas, as calculated from that information.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Education Agency in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 55 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by rule to require each public school district that offers a free prekindergarten class for certain children and each private entity that provides a prekindergarten program under contract with a district to report the following information in the form and manner prescribed by TEA for each prekindergarten class offered by the district or private entity:

· the number of students in each prekindergarten class;

· the number of certified teachers in each prekindergarten class;

· the number of teacher's aides in each prekindergarten class;

· whether each prekindergarten class is full-day or half-day; and

· if the district offers half-day classes, whether the district offers two half-day classes per day.

C.S.H.B. 55 requires TEA to determine the total number of teachers and teacher's aides in prekindergarten classes in Texas from the submitted information. The bill requires TEA, for purposes of calculating the student/teacher ratio for each prekindergarten class offered by a district or private entity that provides a prekindergarten program under contract with a district, to count each teacher or teacher's aide once for a full-day class and twice for a half-day class if the district offers two half-day classes per day. The bill requires TEA to prepare and submit a report to the legislature based on the collected information not later than August 1 of each year beginning in 2020.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 55 includes provisions relating to requiring the reporting of certain information regarding prekindergarten programs provided by or on behalf of districts and does not include any provisions from the original, which relates to class size limits and student/teacher ratios for prekindergarten classes provided by or on behalf of public schools.