By: Gallegos S.B. No. 208
(In the Senate - Filed November 16, 2010; January 31, 2011,
read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
April 11, 2011, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 11, 2011,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 208 By: Gallegos
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to public notice and forums concerning finalists for the
position of superintendent of a school district.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 11.1514 to read as follows:
Sec. 11.1514. SUPERINTENDENT: PUBLIC NOTICE OF FINALISTS
AND PUBLIC FORUM. (a) In accordance with Section 552.126,
Government Code, the board of trustees of a school district shall
give public notice of the name of each finalist the board is
considering for the position of superintendent of the district.
(b) A board of trustees considering superintendent
finalists may hold one or more limited public forums at which,
except as provided by Subsection (c), each finalist shall speak and
parents of district students, teachers, and other community members
may offer relevant information and opinions and ask relevant
questions of any of the finalists. The board may establish
procedures for the public forum, including establishment of a
reasonable maximum time limit for each speaker.
(c) A finalist is not required to speak at a public forum
under Subsection (b) if the finalist is absent from the forum
because of:
(1) a death in the finalist's family; or
(2) the illness of the finalist or of an immediate
family member of the finalist.
(d) The board shall give public notice of the subject
matter, time, date, and place of a public forum not later than the
fifth business day before the date the public forum is to be held.
SECTION 2. Section 552.126, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 552.126. EXCEPTION: NAME OF APPLICANT FOR
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. The name of an applicant
for the position of superintendent of a public school district is
excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021, except that the
board of trustees must give public notice of the name or names of
the finalists being considered for the position at least 30 [21]
days before the date of the meeting at which a final action or vote
is to be taken on the employment of the person.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies with
respect to a meeting held after October 31, 2011, at which the board
of trustees of a school district is to take a final action or vote on
the employment of a finalist as superintendent.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
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