Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2321 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R14272 BDP-F
2	2	By: West S.B. No. 2321
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to requiring the board of trustees of each school district
8	8	to create a nonvoting student trustee position on the board.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 11.0512 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 11.0512. STUDENT TRUSTEE. (a) In addition to the
13	13	number of trustees of a school district as provided by Section
14	14	11.051, the board of trustees of each school district shall appoint
15	15	a student trustee in the manner provided by this section.
16	16	(b) The commissioner shall develop a uniform application
17	17	form to be used to solicit eligible applicants for the position of
18	18	student trustee.
19	19	(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the principal of
20	20	each high school in a school district shall:
21	21	(1) not later than November 1 of each year, solicit
22	22	applicants for appointment to the next regular term of the position
23	23	of student trustee of the school district using the uniform
24	24	application form developed under Subsection (b);
25	25	(2) not later than January 1, select three applicants
26	26	from the applications received to serve as the school's
27	27	recommendations for the position of student trustee; and
28	28	(3) send the school's recommendations and
29	29	corresponding applications to the president of the board of
30	30	trustees of the school district.
31	31	(d) The principal of the high school at which a current
32	32	student trustee is enrolled at the time of the student's
33	33	appointment may not solicit applicants for the position of student
34	34	trustee for the next regular term of the position.
35	35	(e) The president of the board of trustees of each school
36	36	district shall select two or more applicants from the applications
37	37	received to serve as recommendations to the board for the student
38	38	trustee position.
39	39	(f) The board of trustees of a school district may request
40	40	to review all applications for the position of student trustee
41	41	received by the board president and may request an applicant to
42	42	submit additional information.
43	43	(g) On June 1, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
44	44	board by majority vote shall appoint one of the applicants to serve
45	45	as the student trustee for the district for a one-year term expiring
46	46	May 31 of the following year.
47	47	(h) To be eligible for appointment as a student trustee for
48	48	a school district, a person must:
49	49	(1) be enrolled as a student at a high school in the
50	50	district; and
51	51	(2) be in good academic standing as determined by the
52	52	school at which the student is enrolled at the time of appointment.
53	53	(i) Throughout a student's term as a student trustee, the
54	54	student must:
55	55	(1) remain enrolled at the school; and
56	56	(2) maintain a grade point average of 2.5 on a
57	57	four-point scale, or the equivalent.
58	58	(j) The principal of the school at which a student trustee
59	59	is enrolled shall notify the president of the board of trustees of
60	60	the school district if the student trustee fails to maintain the
61	61	qualifications required by Subsection (i). On receiving notice,
62	62	the president of the board of trustees of the school district shall
63	63	declare the position as vacant and as soon as practicable fill the
64	64	vacancy in the manner prescribed by Subsection (l).
65	65	(k) A student trustee is not a member of the board of
66	66	trustees of the school district for which the student is appointed.
67	67	A student trustee has the same powers and duties as a member of the
68	68	board of trustees, including the right to attend and participate in
69	69	meetings of the board, except that the student trustee:
70	70	(1) may not vote on any matter before the board or make
71	71	or second any motion before the board; and
72	72	(2) is not counted in determining whether a quorum
73	73	exists for a meeting of the board or in determining the outcome of
74	74	any vote of the board.
75	75	(l) A vacancy in the position of student trustee for a
76	76	school district shall be filled for the unexpired term by
77	77	appointment by the president of the board of trustees of the school
78	78	district in consultation with the board.
79	79	(m) A student trustee serves without compensation but is
80	80	entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the
81	81	student in attending meetings of the board, subject to the approval
82	82	of the president of the board of trustees of the school district.
83	83	(n) A school district may grant to a student who fulfills
84	84	the requirements of service of a student trustee not more than one
85	85	academic course credit in a subject area determined appropriate by
86	86	the district.
87	87	SECTION 2. Section 11.0511, Education Code, is repealed.
88	88	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.