Texas House Bill HB1209

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 11/12/24

Caption

Relating to the minimum number of instructional days provided by public schools.

Impact

If passed, HB1209 will reinforce the requirement for a set number of instructional days but will also allow flexibility for districts that need to adapt due to unforeseen circumstances. The bill also introduces new rules enabling the maintenance of a four-day school week for districts that adopted such a schedule in the 2024-2025 school year, given their performance ratings exceed certain thresholds. This could significantly impact how districts schedule their academic years and manage educational outcomes.

Summary

House Bill 1209 aims to amend the Texas Education Code regarding the minimum number of instructional days required for public schools. The bill establishes that each school district must operate for at least 175 instructional days and provide a minimum of 75,600 minutes of operation per school year. Exceptions are made for school districts with fewer than 8,000 students and under specific calamities such as disasters or extreme weather conditions, where the Commissioner of Education may approve a reduction in required instructional days.

Contention

One of the notable points of contention surrounding HB1209 is the proposed flexibility in scheduling, particularly concerning four-day school weeks. Proponents argue that such flexibility can lead to better instructional quality and improve teacher recruitment and retention. However, critics are concerned this could lead to disparities in educational quality if not all districts are held to the same standards or if performance ratings do not adequately reflect student learning outcomes.

Additional_notes

The bill further stipulates that a school district could be penalized by reduced funding if they fail to meet the minimum days or instructional minutes. This introduces a clear accountability mechanism intended to ensure districts comply with the instructional requirements, ultimately aiming to enhance educational achievement uniformly across Texas.

Texas Constitutional Statutes Affected

Education Code

• Chapter 25. Admission, Transfer, And Attendance
  • Section: New Section
  • Section: 0815

• Chapter 29. Educational Programs
  • Section: 0822
  • Section: 162

• Chapter 37. Discipline; Law And Order
  • Section: New Section

• Chapter 48. Foundation School Program
  • Section: New Section