Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3846 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Krause H.B. No. 3846
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the scheduling of the first day of school for students
7	7	by school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 12A.003(b), Education Code, is amended
10	10	to read as follows:
11	11	(b) A local innovation plan must:
12	12	(1) provide for a comprehensive educational program
13	13	for the district, which program may include:
14	14	(A) innovative curriculum, instructional
15	15	methods, and provisions regarding community participation, campus
16	16	governance, and parental involvement;
17	17	(B) except as provided by Section 12A.004(a),
18	18	modifications to the school day or year;
19	19	(C) provisions regarding the district budget and
20	20	sustainable program funding;
21	21	(D) accountability and assessment measures that
22	22	exceed the requirements of state and federal law; and
23	23	(E) any other innovations prescribed by the board
24	24	of trustees; and
25	25	(2) identify requirements imposed by this code that
26	26	inhibit the goals of the plan and from which the district should be
27	27	exempted on adoption of the plan, subject to Section 12A.004,
28	28	except for modifications of the first and last day of instruction
29	29	under Sections 25.0811 and 25.0812.
30	30	SECTION 2. Section 12A.004(a), Education Code, is amended
31	31	to read as follows:
32	32	(a) A local innovation plan may not provide for the
33	33	exemption of a district designated as a district of innovation from
34	34	the following provisions of this title:
35	35	(1) a state or federal requirement applicable to an
36	36	open-enrollment charter school operating under Subchapter D,
37	37	Chapter 12;
38	38	(2) Subchapters A, C, D, and E, Chapter 11, except that
39	39	a district may be exempt from Sections 11.1511(b)(5) and (14) and
40	40	Section 11.162;
41	41	(3) state curriculum and graduation requirements
42	42	adopted under Chapter 28; [and]
43	43	(4) academic and financial accountability and
44	44	sanctions under Chapters 39 and 39A; and
45	45	(5) the first or last day of instruction requirements
46	46	under Sections 25.0811 and 25.0812 when a school chooses to reapply
47	47	to adopt a district of innovation plan.
48	48	SECTION 3. Section 25.0811(a), Education Code, is amended
49	49	to read as follows:
50	50	(a) Except as provided by this section, a school district
51	51	may not begin instruction for students for a school year before the
52	52	fourth Monday in August. A school district may:
53	53	(1) begin instruction for students for a school year
54	54	before the fourth Monday in August if the district operates a
55	55	year-round system under Section 25.084; or
56	56	(2) begin instruction for students for a school year
57	57	on or after the first Monday in August at a campus or at not more
58	58	than 20 percent of the campuses in the district if:
59	59	(A) the district has a student enrollment of
60	60	190,000 or more;
61	61	(B) the district at the beginning of the school
62	62	year provides, financed with local funds, days of instruction for
63	63	students at the campus or at each of the multiple campuses, in
64	64	addition to the minimum [number of days of] instruction time
65	65	required under Section 25.081;
66	66	(C) the campus or each of the multiple campuses
67	67	is [are] undergoing comprehensive reform, as determined by the
68	68	board of trustees of the district; and
69	69	(D) a majority of the students at the campus or at
70	70	each of the multiple campuses are educationally disadvantaged.
71	71	SECTION 4. Section 25.0812, Education Code, is amended by
72	72	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
73	73	follows:
74	74	(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1) or (b), a school
75	75	district may not schedule the last day of school for students for a
76	76	school year before May 15 or after the Friday preceding Memorial
77	77	Day.
78	78	(a-1) A school district may schedule the last day of school
79	79	for students for a school year after the Friday preceding Memorial
80	80	Day if the district operates a year-round system under Section
81	81	25.084.
82	82	SECTION 5. Section 25.084(a), Education Code, is amended to
83	83	read as follows:
84	84	(a) A school district may operate its schools year-round on
85	85	either a single-track or a multitrack calendar. If a school
86	86	district adopts a year-round system, the district may modify:
87	87	(1) the number of contract days of employees and the
88	88	number of days of operation, including any time required for staff
89	89	development, planning and preparation, and continuing education,
90	90	otherwise required by law;
91	91	(2) testing dates, data reporting, and related
92	92	matters;
93	93	(3) the date of the first day of instruction of the
94	94	school year under Section 25.0811 and the date of the last day of
95	95	school for a school year under Section 25.0812 for a school that was
96	96	operating year-round for the 2020-2021 [2000-2001] school year; and
97	97	(4) a student's eligibility to participate in
98	98	extracurricular activities when the student's calendar track is not
99	99	in session.
100	100	SECTION 6. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
101	101	over another Act of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021,
102	102	relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
103	103	codes.
104	104	SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2022-2023
105	105	school year.
106	106	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
107	107	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
108	108	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
109	109	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
110	110	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.