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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the election of the board of trustees of certain school |
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districts and the powers and duties of the board of trustees of |
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school districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 11.052, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b-1) Subsections (a) and (c) do not apply in the case of an |
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order adopted under this subsection. The board of trustees of an |
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independent school district with the largest student enrollment in |
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a county with a population of 3.3 million or more shall order that |
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trustees of the district are to be elected as follows: |
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(1) four trustees elected from the district at large; |
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and |
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(2) five trustees elected from single-member trustee |
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districts. |
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(d) An order of the board adopted under Subsection (a), [or] |
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(b), or (b-1) must be entered not later than the 120th day before |
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the date of the first election at which all or some of the trustees |
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are elected from single-member trustee districts authorized by the |
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order. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 11.0582 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 11.0582. RESIGNATION FOR CANDIDACY OF ANOTHER OFFICE. |
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(a) The board of trustees of an independent school district may by |
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a two-thirds vote adopt a resolution requiring a member of the board |
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of trustees to resign from the board before running for another |
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elected office. The board of trustees shall adopt procedures for |
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implementing this section. |
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(b) A board of trustees that adopts a requirement under this |
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section may by a two-thirds vote eliminate the requirement. |
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SECTION 3. Section 11.162(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) A parent or guardian of a student assigned to attend a |
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school at which students are required to wear school uniforms may |
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choose for the student to be exempted from the requirement or to |
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transfer to a school at which students are not required to wear |
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uniforms and at which space is available if the parent or guardian |
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provides a written statement that, as determined by the board of |
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trustees or the board's designee, states a bona fide religious or |
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philosophical objection to the requirement. |
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SECTION 4. Section 28.0214, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0214. FINALITY OF GRADE. (a) An examination or |
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course grade issued by a classroom teacher is final and may not be |
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changed unless the grade is arbitrary, erroneous, or not consistent |
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with the school district grading policy applicable to the grade, as |
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determined by the board of trustees or the board's designee of the |
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school district in which the teacher is employed. |
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(b) A determination by a school district board of trustees |
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or the board's designee under Subsection (a) is not subject to |
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appeal. This subsection does not prohibit an appeal related to a |
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student's eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities |
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under Section 33.081. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 28.023(a), (b), (c), (c-1), (d), and |
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(h), Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Using guidelines established by the State Board of |
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Education, a school district shall develop or select for review by |
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the district board of trustees or the board's designee examinations |
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for acceleration for each primary school grade level and for credit |
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for secondary school academic subjects. The guidelines must |
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provide for the examinations to thoroughly test comprehension of |
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the information presented in the applicable grade level or subject. |
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The board of trustees or the board's designee shall approve for each |
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subject, to the extent available, at least four examinations that |
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satisfy State Board of Education guidelines. The examinations |
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approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee must |
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include: |
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(1) advanced placement examinations developed by the |
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College Board; and |
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(2) examinations administered through the |
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College-Level Examination Program. |
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(b) A school district shall give a student in a primary |
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grade level credit for a grade level and advance the student one |
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grade level on the basis of an examination for acceleration |
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approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under |
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Subsection (a) if: |
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(1) the student scores in the 80th percentile or above |
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on each section of the examination; |
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(2) a district representative recommends that the |
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student be advanced; and |
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(3) the student's parent or guardian gives written |
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approval of the advancement. |
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(c) A school district shall give a student in grade level |
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six or above credit for a subject on the basis of an examination for |
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credit in the subject approved by the board of trustees or the |
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board's designee under Subsection (a) if the student scores in the |
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80th percentile or above on the examination or if the student |
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achieves a score as provided by Subsection (c-1). If a student is |
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given credit in a subject on the basis of an examination, the |
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district shall enter the examination score on the student's |
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transcript and the student is not required to take an end-of-course |
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assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) for that |
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subject. |
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(c-1) A school district shall give a student in grade level |
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six or above credit for a subject if the student scores: |
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(1) a three or higher on an advanced placement |
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examination approved by the board of trustees or the board's |
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designee under Subsection (a) and developed by the College Board; |
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or |
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(2) a scaled score of 50 or higher on an examination |
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approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under |
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Subsection (a) and administered through the College-Level |
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Examination Program. |
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(d) Each district shall administer each examination |
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approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under |
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Subsection (a) not fewer than four times each year, at times to be |
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determined by the State Board of Education. |
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(h) This subsection applies only to a school district |
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surrounded by a school district described by Section 11.065(a). |
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Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a school |
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district's board of trustees or the board's designee may establish a |
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minimum required score for each section of an examination for |
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acceleration or an examination for credit approved by the board or |
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the board's designee under Subsection (a) that is higher than the |
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minimum required scores under Subsections (b) and (c), |
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respectively. A minimum required score established by a board of |
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trustees or the board's designee under this subsection: |
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(1) may be no greater than a score in the 90th |
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percentile; |
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(2) must be established before the beginning of a |
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school year for examinations to be administered in the school year; |
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and |
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(3) must apply for at least the entire school year. |
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SECTION 6. Sections 29.089(c) and (d), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The [board of trustees of the] district shall obtain the |
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consent of a student's parent or guardian before allowing the |
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student to participate in the program. |
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(d) The [board of trustees of the] district may arrange for |
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any public or nonprofit community-based organization to come to the |
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district's schools and implement the program. |
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SECTION 7. Section 29.183, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.183. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL |
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PROGRAMS. (a) A [The board of trustees of a] school district may |
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conduct and supervise career and technology classes and other |
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educational programs for students and for other persons of all ages |
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and spend local maintenance funds for the cost of those classes and |
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programs. |
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(b) In developing a career and technology program, the |
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district [board of trustees] shall consider the state plan for |
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career and technology education required under Section 29.182. |
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SECTION 8. Section 54.363(f), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(f) The board of trustees or the board's designee of a |
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school district shall establish a plan to encourage the hiring of |
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educational aides who show a willingness to become certified |
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teachers. |
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SECTION 9. The board of trustees of a school district to |
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which Section 11.052(b-1), Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies shall adopt an order as required by that subsection not |
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later than December 31, 2021. |
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SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |