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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) |
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program, including funding for that program under the Foundation |
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School Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 29.912, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) A school district that has participated in the program |
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may continue to participate in the program regardless of the number |
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of students in average daily attendance in the district for the |
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current school year. |
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SECTION 2. Section 48.118, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsections (a-1), |
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(a-2), (a-3), and (g) to read as follows: |
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(a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), for [For] each full-time |
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equivalent student in average daily attendance in grades 9 through |
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12 in a college or career pathway offered through a partnership |
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under the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program |
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under Section 29.912 that meets the requirements under Subsection |
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(g), a school district is entitled to an allotment equal to the |
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basic allotment, or, if applicable, the sum of the basic allotment |
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and the allotment under Section 48.101 to which the district is |
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entitled, multiplied by: |
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(1) 1.15 if the student is educationally |
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disadvantaged; or |
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(2) 1.11 if the student is not educationally |
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disadvantaged. |
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(a-1) A school district is eligible to receive an allotment |
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under Subsection (a) only if the district has adopted a school |
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calendar for that school year that provides for at least: |
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(1) 175 instructional days; or |
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(2) five instructional days per week for the majority |
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of the school year. |
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(a-2) The commissioner may waive the requirement under |
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Subsection (a-1) for a school district for the 2025-2026 school |
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year on application by the district if the district demonstrates |
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that the district has adopted a school calendar for the 2026-2027 |
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school year that complies with that subsection. This subsection |
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expires September 1, 2026. |
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(a-3) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a school district |
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described by Section 29.912(c-1) may receive funding under this |
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section for up to 110 percent of the number of students who |
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qualified under Subsection (a) for the school year immediately |
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preceding the school year in which the district's enrollment first |
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reached 1,600 or more. |
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(f) The total amount of state funding for allotments and |
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outcomes bonuses under this section may not exceed $5 million per |
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year. If the total amount of allotments and outcomes bonuses to |
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which school districts are entitled under this section exceeds the |
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amount permitted under this subsection, the agency shall allocate |
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state funding to districts under this section in the following |
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order: |
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(1) allotments under Subsection (a) for which school |
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districts participating in partnerships prioritized under Section |
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29.912(h) are eligible; |
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(2) allotments under Subsection (a) for which school |
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districts that entered into a memorandum of understanding or letter |
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of commitment regarding a multidistrict pathway partnership, as |
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defined by commissioner rule, before May 1, 2023, are eligible; |
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(3) allotments under Subsection (a) for which school |
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districts that have entered into a performance agreement under |
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Section 29.912 with a coordinating entity that is an institution of |
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higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, are eligible; and |
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(4) allotments under Subsection (a) for which school |
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districts with the highest percentage of students who are |
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educationally disadvantaged, in descending order, are eligible[; |
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and |
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[(5) outcomes bonuses under Subsection (c) for which |
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school districts with the highest percentage of students who are |
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educationally disadvantaged, in descending order, are eligible]. |
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(g) To be eligible for funding under this section, a |
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partnership under the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) |
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program under Section 29.912 must offer at least one of the |
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following programs of study through in-person instruction, remote |
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instruction, or a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction: |
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(1) computer programming and software development or |
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cybersecurity; or |
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(2) a specialized skilled trade, such as: |
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(A) plumbing and pipefitting; |
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(B) electrical; |
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(C) welding; |
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(D) diesel and heavy equipment; |
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(E) aviation maintenance; or |
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(F) applied agricultural engineering. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 48.118(b), (c), and (d), Education |
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Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 4. Section 29.912, Education Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. |
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SECTION 5. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (c) |
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of this section, this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a |
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vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section, |
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Section 48.118, Education Code, as amended by this Act, takes |
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effect September 1, 2025. |
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(c) Section 48.118(g), Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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takes effect September 1, 2027. |