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By: Capriglione, et al. (Senate Sponsor - King) |
H.B. No. 4359 |
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(In the Senate - Received from the House May 16, 2025; |
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May 21, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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Education K-16; May 27, 2025, reported favorably by the following |
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vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 27, 2025, sent to printer.) |
| Click here to see the committee vote |
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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the review of school districts by the Sunset Advisory |
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Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 325, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 325.026 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 325.026. REVIEW OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) In this |
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section, "education service center region" means a geographic |
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region served by a regional education service center under Chapter |
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8, Education Code. |
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(b) The commission shall review the operations and conduct a |
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forensic audit of certain independent school districts or |
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consolidated school districts. The commission shall review two |
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school districts each review cycle. A school district identified |
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for review by the commission under this section is subject to the |
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requirements of this chapter as if it was a state agency but may not |
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be abolished. |
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(c) Not later than October 31 of each odd-numbered year, the |
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commission shall select an education service center region from |
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which the school districts to be reviewed will be selected. The |
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commission shall review the school district within the selected |
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region that has the lowest instructional spending per student and |
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the school district within the selected region that has the highest |
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instructional spending per student according to the most recent |
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information reported to the Texas Education Agency. |
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(d) Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the |
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commission shall prepare a report identifying areas of each |
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district's operations that do not effectively or efficiently use |
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the district's funds and that detract from instructional spending |
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and make recommendations to address its findings. The commission's |
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review may also include recommendations related to the district's |
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governance, management, operating structure, and compliance with |
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legislative requirements. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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