SSHB211 3391 3883
HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS
HB 211 2021 Regular Session Wright
SCHOOLS/CHOICE: Provides relative to public school choice
Synopsis of Senate Amendments
1.Remove authority of the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education
(BESE) to overrule a school governing authority's denial of an enrollment
request.
2.Remove two-year exclusion of certain transfer students from the accountability
system.
3.Change date by which public school governing authorities are required to post
school choice policy on their websites from Sept. 30, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2022.
4.Change date by which public school governing authorities are required to report
school choice policy to the state Dept. of Education from Dec. 31, 2022, to
Jan. 30, 2022.
5.Remove requirement that BESE pursue funds to provide financial incentives
and student supports to schools enrolling students via the choice system.
6.Require BESE to disaggregate data by economically disadvantaged status in its
report to the legislature instead of by family income.
Digest of Bill as Finally Passed by Senate
Present law allows parents to enroll children in the public school of their choice, without
regard to residence, school system geographic boundaries, or attendance zones, if both of the
following apply:
(1)The public school in which the student was most recently enrolled or would
otherwise attend received a school performance letter grade of "D" or "F" for the
most recent school year.
(2)The school in which the student seeks to enroll received a school performance letter
grade of "A", "B", or "C" for the most recent school year and has sufficient capacity
at the appropriate grade level.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law authorizes BESE to review transfer request denials to determine if the school's
capacity policy was followed.
Present law requires each public school governing authority to adopt a policy to govern
student transfers authorized by present law. Proposed law retains present law and further
requires that the policy be posted to each of the governing authorities' websites by Jan. 1,
2022, and reported to the state Dept. of Education by Jan. 30, 2022.
Proposed law requires such policy to include an annual transfer request period. Requires
public school governing authorities to notify parents and legal guardians of the policy; the
provisions of R.S. 17:4035.1; "A", "B", and "C" schools under its jurisdiction; and where to
find school performance letter grades on the department's website.
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Proposed law requires BESE to submit a report on or before Oct. 31 annually to the
legislative committees on education which includes data relative to student transfers during
the most recent school year.
(Amends R.S. 17:4035.1(C) through (E); Adds R.S. 17:4035.1(F),(G), and (H))
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