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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirements for a request for the revision of a |
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charter for an open-enrollment charter school. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 12.114, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.114. REVISION. (a) A revision of a charter of an |
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open-enrollment charter school that is not an expansion amendment |
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may be made only with the approval of the commissioner. An |
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expansion amendment may be made only in the manner provided by this |
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section. |
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(b) Not more than once during each biennium [each year], an |
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open-enrollment charter school may request approval of an expansion |
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amendment to: |
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(1) increase [to revise] the maximum allowable student |
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enrollment described by the school's charter; |
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(2) add a new campus or site; |
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(3) relocate an existing campus or site more than five |
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miles from its current location; |
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(4) extend the grade levels described by the school's |
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charter; or |
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(5) expand the geographic boundaries described by the |
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school's charter. |
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(c) A [Not later than the 60th day after the date that a] |
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charter holder shall submit [submits] to the commissioner a |
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completed request for approval for an expansion amendment[, as |
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defined by commissioner rule, including a new school amendment,] |
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and shall include information needed for an evaluation under |
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Subsection (d). |
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(d) The commissioner shall thoroughly review a request for |
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approval for an expansion amendment to ensure it is in the best |
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interests of all students in this state and may not approve a |
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request if during each of the two years preceding the date of the |
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request the open-enrollment charter school has not served at least |
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the lesser of: |
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(1) the state average of students eligible to receive |
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services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29; or |
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(2) the average of students eligible to receive |
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services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, in each school district in |
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which the charter school operates a campus. |
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(e) Subsection (d) may not be waived. |
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(f) The [the] commissioner shall provide to the charter |
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holder written notice of approval or disapproval of an [the] |
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amendment requested under this section. |
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(g) [(d)] A charter holder may submit a request for approval |
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for an expansion amendment up to 18 months before the date on which |
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the expansion will be effective. A request for approval of an |
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expansion amendment does not obligate the charter holder to |
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complete the proposed expansion. |
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SECTION 2. Section 12.101(b-4), Education Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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a request for approval of a revision to the charter of an |
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open-enrollment charter school submitted on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |