| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a school district student's reentry into a regular |
|
|
educational environment from an alternative education program, |
|
|
including parental rights related to that reentry. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 37.008(a-1), Education Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(a-1) The agency shall adopt minimum standards for the |
|
|
operation of disciplinary alternative education programs, |
|
|
including standards relating to: |
|
|
(1) student/teacher ratios; |
|
|
(2) student health and safety; |
|
|
(3) reporting of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of |
|
|
students; |
|
|
(4) training for teachers in behavior management and |
|
|
safety procedures; and |
|
|
(5) planning for a student's reentry into a regular |
|
|
educational environment [transition] from a disciplinary |
|
|
alternative education program [to a regular campus]. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 37.023, Education Code, |
|
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 37.023. REENTRY INTO REGULAR EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT |
|
|
[TRANSITION] FROM ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM [TO REGULAR |
|
|
CLASSROOM]. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 37.023, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
amending Subsections (c), (d), and (e) and adding Subsections (c-1) |
|
|
and (g) to read as follows: |
|
|
(c) Not later than five instructional days after the date of |
|
|
a student's release from an alternative education program, the |
|
|
campus administrator shall hold a meeting to coordinate the |
|
|
student's enrollment and reentry into [transition to] a regular |
|
|
educational environment [classroom]. The coordination must |
|
|
include assistance and recommendations from the student's parent or |
|
|
a person standing in parental relation to the student and, as |
|
|
applicable: |
|
|
(1) school counselors; |
|
|
(2) school district peace officers; |
|
|
(3) school resource officers; |
|
|
(4) licensed clinical social workers; |
|
|
(5) campus behavior coordinators; |
|
|
(6) classroom teachers who are or may be responsible |
|
|
for implementing the student's personalized school reentry |
|
|
[transition] plan developed under Subsection (d); and |
|
|
(7) any other appropriate school district personnel. |
|
|
(c-1) The campus administrator shall, before finalizing a |
|
|
personalized school reentry plan for a student under Subsection |
|
|
(d), provide to the student's parent or a person standing in |
|
|
parental relation to the student: |
|
|
(1) a list of the people who will be assisting in the |
|
|
student's reentry into a regular educational environment under |
|
|
Subsection (c); and |
|
|
(2) an opportunity to meet, either in person or |
|
|
remotely, with the people included on the list described by |
|
|
Subdivision (1) to: |
|
|
(A) discuss any proposed assistance or |
|
|
recommendations for the student's reentry; and |
|
|
(B) provide information regarding the student |
|
|
that may be useful in developing the plan. |
|
|
(d) The enrollment and school reentry assistance required |
|
|
by Subsection (c) must include a personalized school reentry |
|
|
[transition] plan for the student developed by the campus |
|
|
administrator. A personalized school reentry [transition] plan: |
|
|
(1) must include: |
|
|
(A) recommendations for the best educational |
|
|
placement of the student; and |
|
|
(B) the provision of information to the student's |
|
|
parent or a person standing in parental relation to the student |
|
|
regarding the process to request a full individual and initial |
|
|
evaluation of the student for purposes of special education |
|
|
services under Section 29.004; and |
|
|
(2) may include: |
|
|
(A) recommendations for counseling, behavioral |
|
|
management, or academic assistance for the student with a |
|
|
concentration on the student's academic or career goals; |
|
|
(B) recommendations for assistance for obtaining |
|
|
access to mental health services provided by the district or |
|
|
school, a local mental health authority, or another private or |
|
|
public entity; and |
|
|
(C) a regular review of the student's progress |
|
|
toward the student's academic or career goals. |
|
|
(e) As soon as practicable after completing a student's |
|
|
personalized school reentry plan under Subsection (d) [If |
|
|
practicable], the campus administrator shall provide an electronic |
|
|
or written copy of the plan to [, or the administrator's designee, |
|
|
shall meet with] the student's parent or a person standing in |
|
|
parental relation to the student [to coordinate plans for the |
|
|
student's transition]. |
|
|
(g) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to |
|
|
implement this section. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
|
|
school year. |
|
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |