Relating to the calculation of average daily attendance of a school district for the 2021-2022 school year.
The most notable impact of this bill is its provision for funding continuity for school districts. By allowing districts to secure funding based on their attendance figures from the pre-pandemic year (2018-2019) if they are more favorable than the current year, HB135 aims to mitigate the negative financial implications resulting from fluctuating student attendance, especially due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This could help stabilize funding and resources amidst ongoing challenges in education.
House Bill 135 addresses the calculation of average daily attendance (ADA) for school districts during the 2021-2022 school year. The bill amends the Texas Education Code by introducing a new subsection that stipulates for this specific school year, funding for each school district will be determined based on the higher of the average daily attendance from either the 2018-2019 school year or the 2021-2022 school year. This modification is intended to ensure that schools are not financially disadvantaged due to potentially lower attendance rates during the pandemic affected year of 2021-2022.
While the bill appears to provide a safety net for school funding, discussions surrounding it may raise contention regarding the implications of determining funding based on attendance metrics. Some may argue that it could disincentivize efforts to improve attendance or lead to inequities among districts with varying attendance patterns or those disproportionately affected by the pandemic. There might also be concerns about the long-term implications of relying on older attendance data as a basis for current funding.
Additionally, the bill includes a provision that it will expire on September 1, 2023, indicating that it is a temporary measure aimed at addressing immediate circumstances without making permanent changes to the funding structure. The structure of the bill also implies that immediate action is necessary, as it requires a two-thirds vote in both houses for it to take effect right away, highlighting the urgency of the situation.