| 1 | 1 | | 85R1053 KJE-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Burton S.B. No. 328 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to public school class size limits. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Sections 25.112(a) and (d), Education Code, are |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (a) Except as otherwise authorized by this section, a school |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | district may not enroll at a campus in classes in the kindergarten, |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | first, second, third, or fourth grade levels more than a |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | campus-wide average in each of those grade levels of 22 students per |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | [in a kindergarten, first, second, third, or fourth grade] class. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | That limitation does not apply during: |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (1) any 12-week period of the school year selected by |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | the district, in the case of a district whose average daily |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | attendance is adjusted under Section 42.005(c); or |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (2) the last 12 weeks of any school year in the case of |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | any other district. |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (d) On application of a school district, the commissioner |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | may except the district from the limit in Subsection (a) for the |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | school year if the commissioner finds the limit works an undue |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | hardship on the district. An exception expires at the end of the |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | school year for which it is granted. |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. Section 25.113(a), Education Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (a) A campus or district that is granted an exception under |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | Section 25.112(d) from class size limits shall provide written |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | notice of the exception to the parent of or person standing in |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | parental relation to each student affected by the exception. The |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | notice must be in conspicuous bold or underlined print and: |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (1) specify the grade level [class] for which an |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | exception from the limit imposed by Section 25.112(a) was granted; |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (2) state the number of children in each [the] class at |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | the grade level for which the exception was granted; and |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (3) be included in a regular mailing or other |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | communication from the campus or district, such as information sent |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | home with students. |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | school year. |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|