BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1490

By: Bettencourt

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In 2013, the 83rd Legislature created the adult high school diploma and industry certification charter school pilot program with the express purpose of providing high school diplomas and industry certifications to adult learners. The bill sponsor has informed the committee that the program aims to meet industry needs for a sufficiently trained workforce, to strengthen the economic and educational prosperity of the state, and to reduce high poverty rates among undereducated populations. The 87th Legislature established a new funding model for adult high school charter programs, shifting from attendance-based funding to an enrollment-based approach. The bill sponsor has also informed the committee that while this change recognized the need for flexibility among adult learners balancing jobs and family responsibilities, an omission in the bill left out a key funding tier, leading to a cascading funding shortfall for adult high schools. S.B. 1490 seeks to correct this omission and align the funding model with the original legislative intent behind the adult high school charter school program by raising the attendance threshold used to determine the average daily attendance of such a program.

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

S.B. 1490 amends the Education Code to raise the threshold for a student's attendance that constitutes a 100 percent attendance rate, for purposes of determining the average daily attendance of an adult high school charter program, as follows:

· from half of the instructional days of the school year to three-quarters of those days, if the student is enrolled for at least 50 percent but less than 75 percent of the school year;

· from a quarter of the instructional days of the school year to half of those days, if the student is enrolled for at least 25 percent but less than 50 percent of the school year; and

· from one-tenth of the instructional days of the school year to a quarter of those days, if the student is enrolled for at least 10 percent but less than 25 percent of the school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.