BILL ANALYSIS
|
Senate Research Center |
S.B. 2942 |
|
|
By: Creighton |
|
|
Education K-16 |
|
|
4/14/2025 |
|
|
As Filed |
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Texas has roughly seven million adults who never finished high school. When parents lack a diploma, they stay trapped in low-wage work and their children are far more likely to drop out.
Since 2013, our Adult Charter High School pilot has offered these Texans a real diploma plus career credentials, producing higher graduation rates, immediate wage gains, and a stronger workforce. Demand, however, still exceeds supply.
S.B. 2942 removes the roadblocks that keep successful programs from expanding while ensuring taxpayer dollars follow measurable student success.
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 Section 12.252, Education Code, by adding Subsection (c), as follows:
(c) Provides that, in matters related to operation of a charter school under Subchapter G (Adult High School Charter School Program), Chapter 12 (Charters), a charter school or charter holder is immune from liability and suit to the same extent as a school district, and the employees and volunteers of the charter school or charter holder are immune from liability and suit to the same extent as school district employees and volunteers. Provides that a member of the governing body of a charter school or of a charter holder governed by this chapter is immune from liability and suit to the same extent as a school district trustee.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 12.258(a), Education Code, to provide that a person who is at least 18 years of age and not more than 60, rather than 50, years of age is eligible to enroll in an adult education program operated under a charter granted under this subchapter if the person meets certain criteria.
SECTION 3. Amends Section 12.260, Education Code, by adding Subsection (b-1), as follows:
(b-1) Provides that, notwithstanding Subsection (b) (relating to requiring certain entities to determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on a certain assessment for receipt of a high school diploma by certain persons), a student enrolled in an adult education program operated by an entity described by Section 12.256(1)(D) (relating to providing that an entity is eligible for a charter to operate an adult education program if the entity is a general academic teaching institution, public junior college, or public technical institute) or by a partnering nonprofit entity is eligible for receipt of a high school diploma under this subchapter if the student performs satisfactorily on an assessment instrument prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 130.455 (Award of High School Diploma), provided that the student meets all other applicable requirements for receipt of a diploma.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 12.261(b), Education Code, as follows:
(b) Provides that an expansion amendment submitted under Subsection (a) (relating to requiring an entity granted a charter to submit any request for approval of an expansion amendment intended to take effect the next school year before a certain date) is considered approved if the commissioner of education (commissioner) does not provide written notice to the eligible entity of the disapproval of the expansion amendment on or before the 30th day following receipt of the amendment, rather than August 1.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 12.262(b), Education Code, as follows:
(b) Deletes existing text requiring the commissioner to include in the accountability framework adopted under Subsection (a) (relating to requiring certain entities to develop and adopt an accountability framework that establishes certain standards) performance domains that measure one-year post-graduation and longitudinal postsecondary outcomes and longitudinal wage and career growth. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 6. Amends Sections 12.263(b), (e), and (f), Education Code, as follows:
(b) Provides that, for purposes of determining the average daily attendance of an adult education program operated under a charter granted under this subchapter, a student is considered to be in average daily attendance, with a 100 percent attendance rate, for:
(1) makes no changes to this subdivision;
(2) three-quarters, rather than half, of the instructional days of the school year, if the student is enrolled for at least 50 percent but less than 75 percent of the school year;
(3) half, rather than a quarter, of the instructional days of the school year, if the student is enrolled for at least 25 percent but less than 50 percent of the school year; or
(4) a quarter, rather than one-tenth, of the instructional days of the school year, if the student is enrolled for at least 10 percent but less than 25 percent of the school year.
(c) Requires the commissioner to make a bonus payment under this section not later than the end of the six-week period following the graduate's demonstration of career readiness, or a shorter period if the commissioner determines that available data accurately reflects the graduate's career readiness.
(f) Entitles an eligible entity granted a charter under this subchapter, in addition to funding provided under Subsection (a) (relating to funding for an adult education program), to receive for the adult education program an annual allotment, provided in accordance with a schedule established by commissioner rule, equal to the maximum basic allotment under certain sections multiplied by:
(1) for each credit earned by a student enrolled in the adult education program during the preceding six-week period, or a shorter period determined to be reasonable by the commissioner, rather than the preceding school year:
(A) 0.025, rather than 0.01, for a course other than a career and technology education course; and
(B) 0.05, rather than 0.02, for a career and technology education course; and
(2) 0.2, rather than 0.1, for each student who successfully completed the adult education program and earned a high school diploma during the preceding six-week period, or a shorter period determined to be reasonable by the commissioner, rather than the preceding school year.
SECTION 7. Amends Section 12.264(b), Education Code, as follows:
(b) Requires the commissioner, from any gifts, grants, or donations appropriated or otherwise available to the commissioner for the purpose, to provide to an eligible entity granted a charter under this subchapter funding for costs associated with establishing a new campus for an adult education program operated under this subchapter not later than the 45th day after the date the charter is granted or a charter holder notifies the commissioner of a decision to replicate its adult education program at a new campus. Provides that an entity is only eligible to receive funding under this section for a new campus if that campus has a minimum enrollment capacity of at least 200 students, except that an entity is also eligible to receive a one-time allotment of funding under this section if it establishes multiple campuses with an aggregate enrollment capacity of at least 200 students.
SECTION 8. Makes a conforming change to this section.
SECTION 9. Amends Section 48.005(j), Education Code, to delete existing text providing that a district or charter school is eligible to earn full average daily attendance under Subsection (a) (relating to average daily attendance) if the district or school provides at least 43,200 minutes of instructional time to students enrolled in a school operating under Subchapter G, Chapter 12, and to make nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 10. Effective date: September 1, 2025.