BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2818

By: Lucio III

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that the implementation of online dropout recovery programs may have been unnecessarily complicated with regard to the calculation of attendance for state funding purposes due to the lack of a clear distinction between those programs and optional flexible school day programs. H.B. 2818 seeks to provide greater clarity by setting out program-specific requirements for calculating minutes of instruction and average daily attendance for online dropout recovery programs.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2818 amends the Education Code to remove the requirement for an online dropout recovery education program provided by a public school district to establish satisfactory requirements for the monthly progress of students according to standards set by the commissioner of education. The bill exempts such a program from commissioner rules applicable to an optional flexible school day program regarding minutes of instruction and calculation of average daily attendance. The bill sets out specifications relating to the commissioner's calculation of attendance for an online dropout recovery program, including the elements of determining whether a student satisfies the requirements of half-day or full-day enrollment, establishing a student's daily attendance, calculating the final program average daily attendance (ADA), and adjusting the ADA for purposes of determining foundation school program funding.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.