Texas 2011 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HB2485 Introduced / Bill

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                    By: Hochberg H.B. No. 2485


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to public school finance.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 21.402(d), Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (d)  A classroom teacher, full-time speech pathologist,
 full-time librarian, full-time counselor certified under
 Subchapter B, or full-time school nurse employed by a school
 district in the 2010-2011 school year is, as long as the employee is
 employed by the same district, entitled to a salary that is at least
 equal to the salary the employee received for the 2010-2011 school
 year, except for any school year when the amount of total state and
 local funding for all school districts and open-enrollment charter
 schools through the Foundation School Program, as defined by
 Chapters 41 and 42, is less than the same amount calculated for the
 2010-2011 school year, as determined by the Commissioner not later
 than June 1 of each year. Notwithstanding Section 21.001, this
 determination may not be made by a person other than the
 Commissioner.
 SECTION 2.  Section 41.002(a), Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (a)  A school district may not have a wealth per student that
 exceeds:
 (1)  the wealth per student that generates the amount
 of maintenance and operations tax revenue per weighted student
 available to a district with maintenance and operations tax revenue
 per cent of tax effort equal to the [maximum] amount provided per
 cent under Section 42.101, for the district's maintenance and
 operations tax effort equal to or less than $1.06 [the rate equal to
 the product of the state compression percentage, as determined
 under Section 42.2516, multiplied by the maintenance and operations
 tax rate adopted by the district for the 2005 tax year]; or
 (2)  [the wealth per student that generates the amount
 of maintenance and operations tax revenue per weighted student
 available to the Austin Independent School District, as determined
 by the commissioner in cooperation with the Legislative Budget
 Board, for the first six cents by which the district's maintenance
 and operations tax rate exceeds the rate equal to the product of the
 state compression percentage, as determined under Section 42.2516,
 multiplied by the maintenance and operations tax rate adopted by
 the district for the 2005 tax year, subject to Section 41.093(b-1);
 or
 (3)]  the product of "GL" multiplied by 10,000, where
 "GL" is defined in Section 42.302 [$319,500], for the district's
 maintenance and operations tax effort that exceeds $1.06 [the first
 six cents by which the district's maintenance and operations tax
 effort exceeds the rate equal to the product of the state
 compression percentage, as determined under Section 42.2516,
 multiplied by the maintenance and operations tax rate adopted by
 the district for the 2005 tax year].
 SECTION 3.  Section 41.099, Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 41.099.  LIMITATION.  (a)  Sections [41.002(e),] 41.094
 and[,] 41.097 [, and 41.098] apply only to a district that:
 (1)  executes an agreement to purchase all attendance
 credits necessary to reduce the district's wealth per student to
 the equalized wealth level;
 (2)  executes an agreement to purchase attendance
 credits and an agreement under Subchapter E to contract for the
 education of nonresident students who transfer to and are educated
 in the district but who are not charged tuition; or
 (3)  executes an agreement under Subchapter E to
 contract for the education of nonresident students:
 (A)  to an extent that does not provide more than
 10 percent of the reduction in wealth per student required for the
 district to achieve a wealth per student that is equal to or less
 than the equalized wealth level; and
 (B)  under which all revenue paid by the district
 to other districts, in excess of the reduction in state aid that
 results from counting the weighted average daily attendance of the
 students served in the contracting district, is required to be used
 for funding a consortium of at least three districts in a county
 with a population of less than 40,000 that is formed to support a
 technology initiative.
 (b)  A district that executes an agreement under Subsection
 (a)(3) must pay full market value for any good or service the
 district obtains through the consortium.
 SECTION 4.  Section 42.101, Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 42.101.  BASIC ALLOTMENT. (a)  For each student in
 average daily attendance, not including the time students spend
 each day in special education programs in an instructional
 arrangement other than mainstream [or career and technology
 education programs], for which an additional allotment is made
 under Subchapter C, a district is entitled to an allotment equal to
 [the lesser of $4,765 or] the amount that results from the following
 formula:
 A = $4,530 X "DT1R" X "SPVG"
 [A = $4,765 X (DCR/MCR)]
 where:
 "A" is the allotment to which a district is entitled;
 "DT1R" is the district tier one tax rate, which is the lesser
 of:
 (1)  the number of cents in the district's effective
 maintenance and operations tax rate, divided by 100; or,
 (2)  1.06; and
 "SPVG" is the statewide property value growth, which is
 greater of:
 (1)  the average statewide property value per weighted
 student for the prior year, divided by the average statewide
 property value per weighted student for the 2012-2013 school year;
 or,
 (2)  1.
 ["DCR"   is the district's compressed tax rate, which is the
 product of the state compression percentage, as determined under
 Section 42.2516, multiplied by the maintenance and operations tax
 rate adopted by the district for the 2005 tax year; and
 "MCR"   is the state maximum compressed tax rate, which is the
 product of the state compression percentage, as determined under
 Section 42.2516, multiplied by $1.50.]
 (a-1)  Notwithstanding the calculation of SPVG in subsection
 (a), SPVG is 1 for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years.
 [Subsection (a) applies beginning with the 2013-2014 school year.
 For the 2009-2010 through 2012-2013 school years, Subsection (a)
 applies, except each reference to $4,765 in that subsection is
 replaced with an amount equal to the greater of:
 (1)  $4,765; or
 (2)     the amount equal to the product of .0165 and the
 average statewide property value per weighted student.]
 (a-2)  Subsection (a-1) and this subsection expire September
 1, 2013.
 (b)  A greater amount for any school year may be provided by
 appropriation.
 (c)  For the purposes of this section, the Commissioner shall
 determine the average statewide property value per weighted student
 for the prior year no later than June 1.  The Commissioner's
 determination will be final for funding purposes at that time.
 SECTION 5.  Section 42.103, Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 42.103.  SMALL AND MID-SIZED DISTRICT ADJUSTMENT.  (a)
 The basic allotment for certain small and mid-sized districts is
 adjusted in accordance with this section.  In this section:
 (1)  "AA" is the district's adjusted allotment per
 student;
 (2)  "ADA" is the number of students in average daily
 attendance for which the district is entitled to an allotment under
 Section 42.101; and
 (3)  "ABA" is the adjusted basic allotment determined
 under Section 42.102.
 (b)  The basic allotment of a school district that:
 (1)  contains at least 300 square miles; [and]
 (2)  has not more than 1,600 students in average daily
 attendance; and,
 (3)  is not primarily located within an area defined by
 the United States Office of Management and Budget as a standard
 metropolitan statistical area which has a population of 700,000 or
 more as of January 1 of the previous year.
 is adjusted by applying the formula:
 AA = (1 + ((1,600 - ADA) X .0004)) X ABA
 (c)  The basic allotment of a school district that:
 (1)  contains less than 300 square miles; [and]
 (2)  has not more than 1,600 students in average daily
 attendance; and,
 (3)  is not primarily located within an area defined by
 the United States Office of Management and Budget as a standard
 metropolitan statistical area which has a population of 700,000 or
 more as of January 1 of the previous year.
 is adjusted by applying the formula:
 AA = (1 + ((1,600 - ADA) X .00025)) X ABA
 (d)  The basic allotment of a school district that offers a
 kindergarten through grade 12 program and has less than 5,000
 students in average daily attendance is adjusted by applying the
 formula, of the following formulas, that results in the greatest
 adjusted allotment:
 (1)  the formula in Subsection (b) or (c) for which the
 district is eligible; or
 (2)  AA = (1 + ((5,000 - ADA) X .000025)) X ABA.
 (e)  Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec.
 105(a)(5), eff. September 1, 2009.
 SECTION 6.  Section 42.152(a), Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (a)  For each student who is educationally disadvantaged or
 who is a student who does not have a disability and resides in a
 residential placement facility in a district in which the student's
 parent or legal guardian does not reside, a district is entitled to
 an annual allotment equal to the adjusted basic allotment
 multiplied by 0.22 [0.2], and by 2.41 for each full-time equivalent
 student who is in a remedial and support program under Section
 29.081 because the student is pregnant.
 SECTION 7.  Section 42.153(a), Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (a)  For each student in average daily attendance in a
 bilingual education or special language program under Subchapter B,
 Chapter 29, a district is entitled to an annual allotment equal to
 the adjusted basic allotment multiplied by 0.11 [0.1].
 SECTION 8.  Section 42.159, Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 42.159.  STATE VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK [ALLOTMENTS].
 (a)  In this section:
 (1)  "Electronic course" means a course that is a
 semester in length.
 (2)  ["Normal course load" means the number of classes
 or credit hours generally required to be taken by a student to
 generate the full amount of funding provided under this chapter for
 a student in average daily attendance, as determined by the
 commissioner.
 (3)]  "State virtual school network" means the system
 established under Chapter 30A.
 (b)  [For each student who successfully completes an
 electronic course that satisfies a curriculum requirement for
 graduation adopted under Section 28.025 and is provided through the
 state virtual school network as part of a normal course load:
 (1)     the school district or open-enrollment charter
 school that provided the course is entitled to an allotment of $400;
 and
 (2)     the school district or open-enrollment charter
 school in which the student is enrolled is entitled to an allotment
 of $80 to reimburse the district or school for associated
 administrative costs.
 (c)]  A juvenile probation department or state agency is
 entitled to receive state funding comparable to the funding
 described by Subsection (c) [(b)(2)] for students under the
 supervision of the department or agency.
 (c) [(d)]  For each student who successfully completes an
 electronic course that satisfies a curriculum requirement for
 graduation adopted under Section 28.025, is provided through the
 state virtual school network, [and exceeds a normal course load,]
 including an electronic course offered during the summer, the
 school district or open-enrollment charter school that provided the
 course may be entitled to an allotment in an amount determined by
 the commissioner based on the amount of funds appropriated for
 purposes of this subsection.
 (d) [(e)]  The commissioner may set aside an amount not to
 exceed 50 percent of the total funds appropriated for allotments
 under Subsection (c) [(d)] and use that amount to pay the costs of
 providing through the state virtual school network electronic
 courses through which students may recover academic credit for
 courses in which the students were previously unsuccessful.  The
 commissioner may reserve a portion of the set-aside amount for
 payment of the costs of providing electronic courses described by
 this subsection to students in alternative education settings.  For
 purposes of this subsection, students in alternative education
 settings include students in disciplinary alternative education
 programs under Section 37.008, students in juvenile justice
 alternative education programs under Section 37.011, and students
 under the supervision of a juvenile probation department, the Texas
 Youth Commission, or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
 (e) [(f)]  The commissioner may not provide partial funding
 under this section to a school district or open-enrollment charter
 school under Subsection (c) [(b) or (d)] on the basis of a student
 who successfully completes one or more modules of an electronic
 course but does not successfully complete the entire course.
 (f) [(g)]  Amounts received by a school district or
 open-enrollment charter school under this section are in addition
 to any amounts to which the district or school is entitled to
 receive or retain under Chapter 12 or 41 or this chapter and are not
 subject to reduction under any provision of those chapters.
 (g) [(h)]  The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
 implement this section.  The rules must include provisions:
 (1)  requiring a school district or open-enrollment
 charter school that receives funding for an electronic course under
 Subsection (c) [(d)] to reduce the amount of any fee charged for the
 course in accordance with Section 30A.155 by an amount equal to the
 amount of funding provided under Subsection (c) [(d)];
 (2)  prohibiting a school district or open-enrollment
 charter school that receives funding for an electronic course under
 Subsection (c) [(d)] from charging a fee for the course in
 accordance with Section 30A.155 that is higher than would otherwise
 be charged; and
 (3)  addressing division and distribution of the
 allotment described by Subsection (c) [(b)(2)] in circumstances in
 which a student transfers from one school district, school, or
 other educational setting to another after beginning enrollment in
 an electronic course.
 SECTION 9.  Section 42.252(a), Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (a)  Each school district's share of the Foundation School
 Program is determined by the following formula:
 LFA = TR X DPV
 where:
 "LFA" is the school district's local share;
 "TR" is a tax rate which for each hundred dollars of valuation
 is an effective tax rate [of the amount] equal to the [product of
 the state compression percentage, as determined under Section
 42.2516, multiplied by the] lesser of:
 (1)  $1.06 [1.50]; or
 (2)  the district's effective maintenance and
 operations tax rate [the maintenance and operations tax rate
 adopted by the district for the 2005 tax year]; and
 "DPV" is the taxable value of property in the school district
 for the current [preceding] tax year determined under Subchapter M,
 Chapter 403, Government Code.
 SECTION 10.  Section 42.260(b), Education Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (b)  For each year, the commissioner shall certify to each
 school district or participating charter school the amount of[:
 (1)]  additional funds to which the district or school
 is entitled due to the increase made by H.B. No. 3343, Acts of the
 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, to:
 (1) [(A)]  the equalized wealth level under Section
 41.002; or
 (2) [(B)]  the guaranteed level of state and local
 funds per weighted student per cent of tax effort under Section
 42.302[; or
 (2)     additional state aid to which the district or
 school is entitled under Section 42.2513].
 SECTION 11.  Sections 42.302(a) and (a-1), Education Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  Each school district is guaranteed a specified amount
 per weighted student in state and local funds for each cent of tax
 effort over that required for the district's local fund assignment
 up to the maximum level specified in this subchapter.  The amount of
 state support, subject only to the maximum amount under Section
 42.303, is determined by the formula:
 GYA = (GL X WADA X DTR X 100) - LR
 where:
 "GYA" is the guaranteed yield amount of state funds to be
 allocated to the district;
 "GL" is the dollar amount guaranteed level of state and local
 funds per weighted student per cent of tax effort, which is an
 amount described by Subsection (a-1) or a greater amount for any
 year provided by appropriation;
 "WADA" is the number of students in weighted average daily
 attendance, which is calculated by dividing the sum of the school
 district's allotments under Subchapters B and C, less any allotment
 to the district for transportation, any allotment under Section
 42.158 or[,] 42.159 [, or 42.160], and 50 percent of the adjustment
 under Section 42.102, by the basic allotment for the applicable
 year;
 "DTR" is the district enrichment tax rate of the school
 district, which is determined by subtracting the amounts specified
 by Subsection (b) from the total amount of maintenance and
 operations taxes collected by the school district for the
 applicable school year and dividing the difference by the quotient
 of the district's taxable value of property as determined under
 Subchapter M, Chapter 403, Government Code, [or, if applicable,
 under Section 42.2521,] divided by 100; and
 "LR" is the local revenue, which is determined by multiplying
 "DTR" by the quotient of the district's taxable value of property as
 determined under Subchapter M, Chapter 403, Government Code, [or,
 if applicable, under Section 42.2521,] divided by 100.
 (a-1)  In this section, "wealth per student" has the meaning
 assigned by Section 41.001. For purposes of Subsection (a), the
 dollar amount guaranteed level of state and local funds per
 weighted student per cent of tax effort ("GL") for a school district
 is[:
 (1)     the greater of the amount of district tax revenue per
 weighted student per cent of tax effort that would be available to
 the Austin Independent School District, as determined by the
 commissioner in cooperation with the Legislative Budget Board, if
 the reduction of the limitation on tax increases as provided by
 Section 11.26(a-1), (a-2), or (a-3), Tax Code, did not apply, or the
 amount of district tax revenue per weighted student per cent of tax
 effort used for purposes of this subdivision in the preceding
 school year, for the first six cents by which the district's
 maintenance and operations tax rate exceeds the rate equal to the
 product of the state compression percentage, as determined under
 Section 42.2516, multiplied by the maintenance and operations tax
 rate adopted by the district for the 2005 tax year; and
 (2)]  $31.95[, for the district's maintenance and operations
 tax effort that exceeds the amount of tax effort described by
 Subdivision (1)].
 SECTION 12.  Section 403.302(d), Government Code, as amended
 by Chapter 1186 (H.B. 3676), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular
 Session, 2009, is amended to read as follows:
 (d)  For the purposes of this section, "taxable value" means
 the market value of all taxable property less:
 (1)  the total dollar amount of any residence homestead
 exemptions lawfully granted under Section 11.13(b) or (c), Tax
 Code, in the year that is the subject of the study for each school
 district;
 (2)  [one-half of the total dollar amount of any
 residence homestead exemptions granted under Section 11.13(n), Tax
 Code, in the year that is the subject of the study for each school
 district;
 (3)]  the total dollar amount of any exemptions granted
 before May 31, 1993, within a reinvestment zone under agreements
 authorized by Chapter 312, Tax Code;
 (3) [(4)]  subject to Subsection (e), the total dollar
 amount of any captured appraised value of property that:
 (A)  is within a reinvestment zone created on or
 before May 31, 1999, or is proposed to be included within the
 boundaries of a reinvestment zone as the boundaries of the zone and
 the proposed portion of tax increment paid into the tax increment
 fund by a school district are described in a written notification
 provided by the municipality or the board of directors of the zone
 to the governing bodies of the other taxing units in the manner
 provided by Section 311.003(e), Tax Code, before May 31, 1999, and
 within the boundaries of the zone as those boundaries existed on
 September 1, 1999, including subsequent improvements to the
 property regardless of when made;
 (B)  generates taxes paid into a tax increment
 fund created under Chapter 311, Tax Code, under a reinvestment zone
 financing plan approved under Section 311.011(d), Tax Code, on or
 before September 1, 1999; and
 (C)  is eligible for tax increment financing under
 Chapter 311, Tax Code;
 (4) [(5)]  for a school district for which a deduction
 from taxable value is made under Subdivision (4), an amount equal to
 the taxable value required to generate revenue when taxed at the
 school district's current tax rate in an amount that, when added to
 the taxes of the district paid into a tax increment fund as
 described by Subdivision (4)(B), is equal to the total amount of
 taxes the district would have paid into the tax increment fund if
 the district levied taxes at the rate the district levied in 2005;
 (5) [(6)]  the total dollar amount of any captured
 appraised value of property that:
 (A)  is within a reinvestment zone:
 (i)  created on or before December 31, 2008,
 by a municipality with a population of less than 18,000; and
 (ii)  the project plan for which includes
 the alteration, remodeling, repair, or reconstruction of a
 structure that is included on the National Register of Historic
 Places and requires that a portion of the tax increment of the zone
 be used for the improvement or construction of related facilities
 or for affordable housing;
 (B)  generates school district taxes that are paid
 into a tax increment fund created under Chapter 311, Tax Code; and
 (C)  is eligible for tax increment financing under
 Chapter 311, Tax Code;
 (6) [(7)]  the total dollar amount of any exemptions
 granted under Section 11.251 or 11.253, Tax Code;
 (7) [(8)]  the difference between the comptroller's
 estimate of the market value and the productivity value of land that
 qualifies for appraisal on the basis of its productive capacity,
 except that the productivity value estimated by the comptroller may
 not exceed the fair market value of the land;
 (8) [(9)]  the portion of the appraised value of
 residence homesteads of individuals who receive a tax limitation
 under Section 11.26, Tax Code, on which school district taxes are
 not imposed in the year that is the subject of the study, calculated
 as if the residence homesteads were appraised at the full value
 required by law;
 (9) [(10)]  a portion of the market value of property
 not otherwise fully taxable by the district at market value because
 of:
 (A)  action required by statute or the
 constitution of this state that, if the tax rate adopted by the
 district is applied to it, produces an amount equal to the
 difference between the tax that the district would have imposed on
 the property if the property were fully taxable at market value and
 the tax that the district is actually authorized to impose on the
 property, if this subsection does not otherwise require that
 portion to be deducted; or
 (B)  action taken by the district under Subchapter
 B or C, Chapter 313, Tax Code, before the expiration of the
 subchapter;
 (10) [(11)]  the market value of all tangible personal
 property, other than manufactured homes, owned by a family or
 individual and not held or used for the production of income;
 (11) [(12)]  the appraised value of property the
 collection of delinquent taxes on which is deferred under Section
 33.06, Tax Code;
 (12) [(13)]  the portion of the appraised value of
 property the collection of delinquent taxes on which is deferred
 under Section 33.065, Tax Code; and
 (13) [(14)] the amount by which the market value of a
 residence homestead to which Section 23.23, Tax Code, applies
 exceeds the appraised value of that property as calculated under
 that section.
 SECTION 13.  Sections 41.002(b), 41.002(e), 41.002(f),
 41.002(g), 41.0041, 41.098, 42.008, 42.154, 42.156, 42.157,
 42.160, 42.2513, 42.2516, 42.25161, 42.2517, 42.2521, 42.2522,
 42.2523(c), 42.2524(g), 42.253(c-1), 42.261, and 42.302(f),
 Education Code, are repealed.
 SECTION 14.  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, 2011.