BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

S.B. 1306

 

By: Kolkhorst

 

Education

 

5/30/2019

 

Enrolled

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Section 37.0012 of the Education Code currently requires an individual at each campus to be designated to serve as the "campus behavior coordinator." This person may be the principal or any other campus administrator selected by the principal.

 

The campus behavior coordinator is responsible for maintaining student discipline. This position was specifically created to ensure that teachers are provided with an individual who is easily identifiable as being responsible for students who are not conforming to standards for classroom behavior.

 

In current law, the campus behavior coordinator is required to take progressive steps to improve the behavior of students and promptly notify a student's parent or guardian if the student is placed into in-school or out-of-school suspension, placed in a disciplinary alternative education program, expelled, placed in a juvenile justice alternative education program, or taken into custody by a law enforcement officer.

 

Campus behavior coordinators are intended to serve as the primary point of contact for the parent or guardian of a student who is subjected to these disciplinary actions. Therefore, it is essential that both parents and teachers have a clear understanding of who on campus is serving as the campus behavior coordinator.

 

If passed, S.B. 1306 adds a provision to the Parental Rights and Responsibilities Chapter of the Education Code that would call for each school district to post on the district's internet website for each campus the name and contact information for the campus behavior coordinator. Additionally, if the district has exempted itself (as a district of innovation) from the campus behavior coordinator provisions of the Education Code, then the website would list the school administrators primarily responsible for student discipline on each campus.

 

S.B. 1306 will give needed guidance to a parent or member of the public so that they could quickly identify the specific person primarily responsible for handling student discipline at a given campus. It would allow parents to report concerns about classroom misconduct, and enable parents to respond more quickly to disciplinary issues involving their child. Lastly, the bill would be helpful to teachers in the classroom by giving clear direction for everyone involved. (Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

 

S.B. 1306 amends current law relating to requiring a school district to post on the district's Internet website the contact information of the school administrator primarily responsible for student discipline at a district campus.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

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

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 26, Education Code, by adding Section 26.015, as follows:

 

Sec. 26.015. POSTING OF INFORMATION REGARDING ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR STUDENT DISCIPLINE. Requires a school district to post on the district's Internet website, for each district campus, the e-mail address and dedicated telephone number of a person clearly identified as:

 

(1) the campus behavior coordinator designated under Section 37.0012 (Designation of Campus Behavior Coordinator); or

 

(2) if the district has been designated as a district of innovation under Chapter 12A (Districts of Innovation) and is exempt from the requirement to designate a campus behavior coordinator under Section 37.0012 under the district's local innovation plan, a campus administrator designated as being responsible for student discipline.

 

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2019��2020 school year.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.