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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the availability of certain school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school financial information on certain |
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districts' or schools' Internet websites. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 44, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter D to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER D. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE |
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Sec. 44.101. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only |
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to: |
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(1) a school district that is ranked among the 50 |
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highest in student enrollment, as determined by the commissioner; |
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and |
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(2) an open-enrollment charter school that is ranked |
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among the 10 highest in student enrollment, as determined by the |
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commissioner based on the aggregated student enrollment of all |
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campuses under the school's charter. |
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Sec. 44.102. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. (a) A school district |
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or open-enrollment charter school shall maintain on the district's |
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or school's Internet website an electronic database of district or |
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school finances. The database must include, if applicable: |
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(1) for the immediately preceding fiscal year: |
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(A) total expenditures as a dollar amount and a |
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dollar amount per student in average daily attendance; |
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(B) total revenue as a dollar amount and a dollar |
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amount per student in average daily attendance; |
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(C) total revenue from property taxes as a dollar |
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amount and a dollar amount per student in average daily attendance; |
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(D) the total number of full-time equivalent |
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positions for the district or school; and |
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(E) for a district subject to Chapter 41, any |
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amount expended by the district to purchase attendance credits in |
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an amount sufficient for the district to reduce the district's |
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wealth per student to the equalized wealth level; |
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(2) a graphical representation of the district's or |
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school's operating and debt service funds, including: |
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(A) the total budgeted allocation and per student |
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in average daily attendance allocation for the current school year, |
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separated by each applicable assigned: |
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(i) function code; and |
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(ii) object code determined by the |
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commissioner as a major object code; and |
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(B) the actual revenues and expenditures for each |
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of the four preceding fiscal years, separated by each applicable |
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assigned: |
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(i) function code; and |
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(ii) object code determined by the |
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commissioner as a major object code; |
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(3) the district's or school's annual financial report |
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for the preceding five fiscal years; |
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(4) in a searchable electronic format: |
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(A) the transaction register for each district or |
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school checking account, including for each check written from a |
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district or school checking account: |
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(i) the transaction amount; |
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(ii) the name of the payee; |
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(iii) the date the check was issued; and |
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(iv) a statement of the purpose of the |
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expenditure for which the check was written; and |
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(B) a governing board financial report, updated |
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at least quarterly, comparing revenues and expenditures with: |
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(i) the adopted and amended budget; and |
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(ii) revenues and expenditures from the |
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preceding fiscal year; |
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(5) a visualization chart depicting district or school |
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financial data trends for the preceding five fiscal years that |
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shows for each fiscal year: |
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(A) total expenditures per student in average |
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daily attendance; |
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(B) total revenue per student in average daily |
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attendance; and |
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(C) for a district, the district property tax |
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rate expressed in dollars per $100 valuation; |
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(6) contact information for the district or school and |
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members of the governing body of the district or school; and |
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(7) a link to a web page maintained by the district or |
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school that provides instructions for submitting a request for |
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information under Chapter 552, Government Code. |
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(b) The school district's or open-enrollment charter |
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school's annual financial report for the current fiscal year must |
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be posted not later than the first anniversary of the end of the |
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fiscal year. |
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(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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shall: |
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(1) update the electronic checking account |
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transaction register at least once each month, not later than the |
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30th day after the closing date of the most recent monthly statement |
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for the checking account; |
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(2) maintain each transaction or listing in the |
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electronic checking account transaction register on the district's |
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or school's Internet website until at least the third anniversary |
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of the date of the transaction or listing; and |
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(3) for each fiscal year that transactions and |
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listings are included in the electronic checking account |
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transaction register, group together the transactions and listings |
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by fiscal year. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2020. |