Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB178 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R2404 CAE-D
2	2	By: Lucio S.B. No. 178
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the employment of certified school counselors by school
8	8	districts.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 33.002. [CERTIFIED] SCHOOL COUNSELOR TO STUDENT RATIO;
13	13	DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR COUNSELING PROGRAMS. (a) In this
14	14	section, "school counselor" means a school counselor certified
15	15	under Subchapter B, Chapter 21.
16	16	(a-1) From funds appropriated for the purpose or other funds
17	17	that may be used for the purpose, the commissioner shall distribute
18	18	funds for programs under this subchapter. In distributing those
19	19	funds, the commissioner shall give preference to [a school district
20	20	that received funds under this subsection for the preceding school
21	21	year and then to] the districts that have the highest concentration
22	22	of students at risk of dropping out of school, as described by
23	23	Section 29.081. To receive funds for the program, a school district
24	24	must apply to the commissioner. For each school year that a school
25	25	district receives funds under this subsection, the district shall
26	26	allocate an amount of local funds for school guidance and
27	27	counseling programs that is equal to or greater than the amount of
28	28	local funds that the school district allocated for that purpose
29	29	during the preceding school year. Funds distributed under this
30	30	subsection are in addition to any other funds available for
31	31	programs under this subchapter, including funds provided under
32	32	Section 48.2641 [This section applies only to a school district
33	33	that receives funds as provided by this subsection].
34	34	(b) Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, a [A] school
35	35	district with 300 [500] or more students in enrollment [enrolled in
36	36	elementary school grades] shall employ a school counselor
37	37	[certified under the rules of the State Board for Educator
38	38	Certification] for each [elementary] school in the district. A
39	39	school district shall employ at least one school counselor for
40	40	every 300 [500 elementary school] students in the district.
41	41	(b-1) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, a school
42	42	district with 350 or more students in enrollment shall employ a
43	43	school counselor for each school in the district. A school district
44	44	shall employ at least one school counselor for every 350 students in
45	45	the district. This subsection expires September 1, 2029.
46	46	(b-2) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, a school
47	47	district with 400 or more students in enrollment shall employ a
48	48	school counselor for each school in the district. A school district
49	49	shall employ at least one school counselor for every 400 students in
50	50	the district. This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
51	51	(b-3) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, a school
52	52	district with 450 or more students in enrollment shall employ a
53	53	school counselor for each school in the district. A school district
54	54	shall employ at least one school counselor for every 450 students in
55	55	the district. This subsection expires September 1, 2025.
56	56	(b-4) A school district with 500 or more students in
57	57	enrollment shall employ a school counselor for each school in the
58	58	district. A school district shall employ at least one school
59	59	counselor for every 500 students in the district. This subsection
60	60	expires September 1, 2023.
61	61	(c) Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, a [A] school
62	62	district with fewer than 300 [500] students in enrollment [enrolled
63	63	in elementary school grades] shall provide guidance and counseling
64	64	services to [elementary school] students by:
65	65	(1) employing a part-time school counselor [certified
66	66	under the rules of the State Board for Educator Certification];
67	67	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
68	68	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21 [the rules of the
69	69	State Board for Educator Certification]; or
70	70	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
71	71	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
72	72	counselor [certified under the rules of the State Board for
73	73	Educator Certification].
74	74	(c-1) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, a school
75	75	district with fewer than 350 students in enrollment shall provide
76	76	guidance and counseling services to students by:
77	77	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
78	78	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
79	79	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
80	80	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
81	81	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
82	82	counselor.
83	83	(c-2) Subsection (c-1) and this subsection expire September
84	84	1, 2029.
85	85	(c-3) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, a school
86	86	district with fewer than 400 students in enrollment shall provide
87	87	guidance and counseling services to students by:
88	88	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
89	89	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
90	90	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
91	91	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
92	92	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
93	93	counselor.
94	94	(c-4) Subsection (c-3) and this subsection expire September
95	95	1, 2027.
96	96	(c-5) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, a school
97	97	district with fewer than 450 students in enrollment shall provide
98	98	guidance and counseling services to students by:
99	99	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
100	100	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
101	101	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
102	102	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
103	103	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
104	104	counselor.
105	105	(c-6) Subsection (c-5) and this subsection expire September
106	106	1, 2025.
107	107	(c-7) A school district with fewer than 500 students in
108	108	enrollment shall provide guidance and counseling services to
109	109	students by:
110	110	(1) employing a part-time school counselor;
111	111	(2) employing a part-time teacher certified as a
112	112	school counselor under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; or
113	113	(3) entering into a shared services arrangement
114	114	agreement with one or more school districts to share a school
115	115	counselor.
116	116	(c-8) Subsection (c-7) and this subsection expire September
117	117	1, 2023.
118	118	SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
119	119	amended by adding Section 48.2641 to read as follows:
120	120	Sec. 48.2641. ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR CERTIFIED SCHOOL
121	121	COUNSELORS. (a) For each school year, from funds that may be used
122	122	for the purpose, a school district is entitled to state aid in an
123	123	amount, as determined by the commissioner, sufficient to assist the
124	124	district in employing the number of certified school counselors
125	125	required by Section 33.002.
126	126	(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
127	127	administer this section.
128	128	SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
129	129	school year.
130	130	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
131	131	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
132	132	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
133	133	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
134	134	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.