| 1 | 1 | | 84R70 KKA-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio III H.B. No. 729 |
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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 employment of certified school counselors by school |
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| 8 | 8 | | 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. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 33.002. CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR. (a) From funds |
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| 13 | 13 | | appropriated for the purpose or other funds that may be used for the |
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| 14 | 14 | | purpose, the commissioner shall distribute funds for programs under |
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| 15 | 15 | | this subchapter. In distributing those funds, the commissioner |
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| 16 | 16 | | shall give preference to [a school district that received funds |
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| 17 | 17 | | under this subsection for the preceding school year and then to] the |
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| 18 | 18 | | districts that have the highest concentration of students at risk |
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| 19 | 19 | | of dropping out of school, as described by Section 29.081. To |
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| 20 | 20 | | receive funds for the program, a school district must apply to the |
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| 21 | 21 | | commissioner. For each school year that a school district receives |
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| 22 | 22 | | funds under this subsection, the district shall allocate an amount |
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| 23 | 23 | | of local funds for school guidance and counseling programs that is |
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| 24 | 24 | | equal to or greater than the amount of local funds that the school |
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| 25 | 25 | | district allocated for that purpose during the preceding school |
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| 26 | 26 | | year. Funds distributed under this subsection are in addition to |
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| 27 | 27 | | any other funds available for programs under this subchapter, |
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| 28 | 28 | | including funds provided under Section 42.2519 [This section |
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| 29 | 29 | | applies only to a school district that receives funds as provided by |
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| 30 | 30 | | this subsection]. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (b) A school district with 300 [500] or more students in |
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| 32 | 32 | | enrollment [enrolled in elementary school grades] shall employ a |
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| 33 | 33 | | school counselor certified under the rules of the State Board for |
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| 34 | 34 | | Educator Certification for each [elementary] school in the |
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| 35 | 35 | | district. A school district shall employ at least one school |
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| 36 | 36 | | counselor for every 300 [500 elementary school] students in the |
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| 37 | 37 | | district. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) A school district with fewer than 300 [500] students in |
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| 39 | 39 | | enrollment [enrolled in elementary school grades] shall provide |
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| 40 | 40 | | guidance and counseling services to [elementary school] students |
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| 41 | 41 | | by: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) employing a part-time school counselor certified |
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| 43 | 43 | | under the rules of the State Board for Educator Certification; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a |
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| 45 | 45 | | school counselor under the rules of the State Board for Educator |
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| 46 | 46 | | Certification; or |
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| 47 | 47 | | (3) entering into a shared services arrangement |
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| 48 | 48 | | agreement with one or more school districts to share a school |
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| 49 | 49 | | counselor certified under the rules of the State Board for Educator |
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| 50 | 50 | | Certification. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is |
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| 52 | 52 | | amended by adding Section 42.2519 to read as follows: |
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| 53 | 53 | | Sec. 42.2519. ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR CERTIFIED SCHOOL |
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| 54 | 54 | | COUNSELORS. (a) For each school year, from funds that may be used |
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| 55 | 55 | | for the purpose, a school district is entitled to state aid in an |
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| 56 | 56 | | amount, as determined by the commissioner, sufficient to assist the |
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| 57 | 57 | | district in employing the number of certified school counselors |
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| 58 | 58 | | required by Section 33.002. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (b) The amount of state aid to which a school district is |
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| 60 | 60 | | entitled under this section is in addition to the amount of revenue |
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| 61 | 61 | | to which the district is entitled under Section 42.2516(b). This |
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| 62 | 62 | | subsection expires September 1, 2017. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (c) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 64 | 64 | | administer this section. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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| 66 | 66 | | school year. |
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| 67 | 67 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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