| 1 | 1 | | By: Parker H.B. No. 3265 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to online learning programs offered by a school district |
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| 7 | 7 | | or open-enrollment charter school to students enrolled at a campus |
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| 8 | 8 | | of the district or school. |
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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. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 29.9091 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 29.9091. ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAMS. (a) In this |
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| 13 | 13 | | section, "electronic course" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 14 | 14 | | 30A.001. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 16 | 16 | | establish an online learning program to offer electronic courses |
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| 17 | 17 | | that satisfy the curriculum requirements under Section 28.002 to |
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| 18 | 18 | | students enrolled in any grade level from kindergarten through |
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| 19 | 19 | | grade 12 at a campus of the district or school. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) The board of trustees of a school district or the |
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| 21 | 21 | | governing body of an open-enrollment charter school that operates |
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| 22 | 22 | | an online learning program under this section may establish |
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| 23 | 23 | | eligibility criteria for students to enroll in electronic courses |
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| 24 | 24 | | offered through the program. In establishing criteria, a board of |
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| 25 | 25 | | trustees or governing body may limit student enrollment in |
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| 26 | 26 | | electronic courses to encourage instruction in a traditional |
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| 27 | 27 | | classroom setting. For eligible students, the board of trustees or |
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| 28 | 28 | | governing body may: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) limit the number of electronic courses in which |
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| 30 | 30 | | the student may enroll; or |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) allow students to enroll full-time in the online |
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| 32 | 32 | | learning program. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (d) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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| 34 | 34 | | that operates a program under this section is entitled to funding |
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| 35 | 35 | | under Chapter 48 or in accordance with the terms of a charter |
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| 36 | 36 | | granted under Section 12.101 for the student's enrollment in an |
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| 37 | 37 | | electronic course offered through the program in the same manner |
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| 38 | 38 | | the district or school is entitled to funding for the student's |
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| 39 | 39 | | enrollment in courses provided in a traditional classroom setting, |
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| 40 | 40 | | provided the student successfully completes the electronic course. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 42 | 42 | | calculate the average daily attendance of a student enrolled in the |
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| 43 | 43 | | program based on: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) hours of contact with the student; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) the student's successful completion of a course; |
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| 46 | 46 | | or |
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| 47 | 47 | | (3) a method approved by the commissioner. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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| 49 | 49 | | school year. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 51 | 51 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 52 | 52 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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