By: Fallon S.B. No. 629
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the availability of certain school district or
open-enrollment charter school financial information on certain
districts' or schools' Internet websites.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 44, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter D to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER D. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Sec. 44.101. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only
to:
(1) a school district that is ranked among the 50
highest in student enrollment, as determined by the commissioner;
and
(2) an open-enrollment charter school that is ranked
among the 10 highest in student enrollment, as determined by the
commissioner based on the aggregated student enrollment of all
campuses under the school's charter.
Sec. 44.102. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. (a) A school district
or open-enrollment charter school shall maintain on the district's
or school's Internet website an electronic database of district or
school finances. The database must include, if applicable:
(1) for the immediately preceding fiscal year:
(A) total expenditures as a dollar amount and a
dollar amount per student in average daily attendance;
(B) total revenue as a dollar amount and a dollar
amount per student in average daily attendance;
(C) total revenue from property taxes as a dollar
amount and a dollar amount per student in average daily attendance;
(D) the total number of full-time equivalent
positions for the district or school; and
(E) for a district subject to Chapter 41, any
amount expended by the district to purchase attendance credits in
an amount sufficient for the district to reduce the district's
wealth per student to the equalized wealth level;
(2) a graphical representation of the district's or
school's operating and debt service funds, including:
(A) the total budgeted allocation and per student
in average daily attendance allocation for the current school year,
separated by each applicable assigned:
(i) function code; and
(ii) object code determined by the
commissioner as a major object code; and
(B) the actual revenues and expenditures for each
of the four preceding fiscal years, separated by each applicable
assigned:
(i) function code; and
(ii) object code determined by the
commissioner as a major object code;
(3) the district's or school's annual financial report
for the preceding five fiscal years;
(4) in a searchable electronic format:
(A) the transaction register for each district or
school checking account, including for each check written from a
district or school checking account:
(i) the transaction amount;
(ii) the name of the payee;
(iii) the date the check was issued; and
(iv) a statement of the purpose of the
expenditure for which the check was written; and
(B) a governing board financial report, updated
at least quarterly, comparing revenues and expenditures with:
(i) the adopted and amended budget; and
(ii) revenues and expenditures from the
preceding fiscal year;
(5) a visualization chart depicting district or school
financial data trends for the preceding five fiscal years that
shows for each fiscal year:
(A) total expenditures per student in average
daily attendance;
(B) total revenue per student in average daily
attendance; and
(C) for a district, the district property tax
rate expressed in dollars per $100 valuation;
(6) contact information for the district or school and
members of the governing body of the district or school; and
(7) a link to a web page maintained by the district or
school that provides instructions for submitting a request for
information under Chapter 552, Government Code.
(b) The school district's or open-enrollment charter
school's annual financial report for the current fiscal year must
be posted not later than the first anniversary of the end of the
fiscal year.
(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
shall:
(1) update the electronic checking account
transaction register at least once each month, not later than the
30th day after the closing date of the most recent monthly statement
for the checking account;
(2) maintain each transaction or listing in the
electronic checking account transaction register on the district's
or school's Internet website until at least the third anniversary
of the date of the transaction or listing; and
(3) for each fiscal year that transactions and
listings are included in the electronic checking account
transaction register, group together the transactions and listings
by fiscal year.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2020.