| 1 | 1 | | 84R1925 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 228 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the optional flexible school day program provided by |
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| 8 | 8 | | school districts. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Sections 29.0822(a), (b), and (d), Education |
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| 11 | 11 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) Notwithstanding Section 25.081 or 25.082, a school |
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| 13 | 13 | | district may [apply to the commissioner to] provide a flexible |
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| 14 | 14 | | school day program for [students who]: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) students who have dropped out of school or are at |
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| 16 | 16 | | risk of dropping out of school as defined by Section 29.081; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) students who attend a campus that is implementing |
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| 18 | 18 | | an innovative redesign of the campus or an early college high school |
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| 19 | 19 | | under a plan approved by the commissioner; [or] |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) students who, as a result of attendance |
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| 21 | 21 | | requirements under Section 25.092, will be denied credit for one or |
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| 22 | 22 | | more classes in which the students have been enrolled; or |
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| 23 | 23 | | (4) a campus or campuses that would benefit from the |
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| 24 | 24 | | program. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) To enable a school district to provide a program under |
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| 26 | 26 | | this section that meets the needs of students described by |
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| 27 | 27 | | Subsection (a), a school district [that meets application |
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| 28 | 28 | | requirements] may: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) provide flexibility in the number of hours each |
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| 30 | 30 | | day a student attends; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) provide flexibility in the number of days each |
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| 32 | 32 | | week a student attends; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) allow a student to enroll in less than or more than |
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| 34 | 34 | | a full course load. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) The commissioner may adopt rules for the administration |
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| 36 | 36 | | of this section[, including rules establishing application |
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| 37 | 37 | | requirements]. The commissioner shall calculate average daily |
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| 38 | 38 | | attendance for students served under this section. The |
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| 39 | 39 | | commissioner shall allow accumulations of hours of instruction for |
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| 40 | 40 | | students whose schedule would not otherwise allow full state |
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| 41 | 41 | | funding. Funding under this subsection shall be determined based |
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| 42 | 42 | | on the number of instructional days in the school district calendar |
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| 43 | 43 | | and a seven-hour school day, but attendance may be cumulated over a |
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| 44 | 44 | | school year, including any summer or vacation session. The |
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| 45 | 45 | | attendance of students who accumulate less than the number of |
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| 46 | 46 | | attendance hours required under this subsection shall be |
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| 47 | 47 | | proportionately reduced for funding purposes. The commissioner |
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| 48 | 48 | | may: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) set maximum funding amounts for an individual |
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| 50 | 50 | | course under this section; and |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) limit funding for the attendance of a student |
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| 52 | 52 | | described by Subsection (a)(3) in a course under this section to |
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| 53 | 53 | | funding only for the attendance necessary for the student to earn |
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| 54 | 54 | | class credit that, as a result of attendance requirements under |
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| 55 | 55 | | Section 25.092, the student would not otherwise be able to receive |
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| 56 | 56 | | without retaking the class. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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| 58 | 58 | | school year. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 60 | 60 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 61 | 61 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 62 | 62 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 63 | 63 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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