2025S0229-1 03/12/25
By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 2822
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the election of the board of trustees of certain school
districts and the powers and duties of the board of trustees of
school districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 11.052, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (b-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as
follows:
(b-1) Subsections (a) and (c) do not apply in the case of an
order adopted under this subsection. The board of trustees of an
independent school district with the largest student enrollment in
a county with a population of 3.3 million or more shall order that
trustees of the district are to be elected as follows:
(1) four trustees elected from the district at large;
and
(2) five trustees elected from single-member trustee
districts.
(d) An order of the board adopted under Subsection (a), [or]
(b), or (b-1) must be entered not later than the 120th day before
the date of the first election at which all or some of the trustees
are elected from single-member trustee districts authorized by the
order.
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 11.0582 to read as follows:
Sec. 11.0582. RESIGNATION FOR CANDIDACY OF ANOTHER
OFFICE. (a) The board of trustees of an independent school
district may by a two-thirds vote adopt a resolution requiring a
member of the board of trustees to resign from the board before
running for another elected office. The board of trustees shall
adopt procedures for implementing this section.
(b) A board of trustees that adopts a requirement under this
section may by a two-thirds vote eliminate the requirement.
SECTION 3. Section 11.162(c), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) A parent or guardian of a student assigned to attend a
school at which students are required to wear school uniforms may
choose for the student to be exempted from the requirement or to
transfer to a school at which students are not required to wear
uniforms and at which space is available if the parent or guardian
provides a written statement that, as determined by the board of
trustees or the board's designee, states a bona fide religious or
philosophical objection to the requirement.
SECTION 4. Section 28.0214, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 28.0214. FINALITY OF GRADE. (a) An examination or
course grade issued by a classroom teacher is final and may not be
changed unless the grade is arbitrary, erroneous, or not consistent
with the school district grading policy applicable to the grade, as
determined by the board of trustees or the board's designee of the
school district in which the teacher is employed.
(b) A determination by a school district board of trustees
or the board's designee under Subsection (a) is not subject to
appeal. This subsection does not prohibit an appeal related to a
student's eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities
under Section 33.081.
SECTION 5. Sections 28.023(a), (b), (c), (c-1), (d), and
(h), Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) Using guidelines established by the State Board of
Education, a school district shall develop or select for review by
the district board of trustees or the board's designee examinations
for acceleration for each primary school grade level and for credit
for secondary school academic subjects. The guidelines must
provide for the examinations to thoroughly test comprehension of
the information presented in the applicable grade level or
subject. The board of trustees or the board's designee shall
approve for each subject, to the extent available, at least four
examinations that satisfy State Board of Education
guidelines. The examinations approved by the board of trustees or
the board's designee must include:
(1) advanced placement examinations developed by the
College Board; and
(2) examinations administered through the
College-Level Examination Program.
(b) A school district shall give a student in a primary
grade level credit for a grade level and advance the student one
grade level on the basis of an examination for acceleration
approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under
Subsection (a) if:
(1) the student scores in the 80th percentile or above
on each section of the examination;
(2) a district representative recommends that the
student be advanced; and
(3) the student's parent or guardian gives written
approval of the advancement.
(c) A school district shall give a student in grade level
six or above credit for a subject on the basis of an examination for
credit in the subject approved by the board of trustees or the
board's designee under Subsection (a) if the student scores in the
80th percentile or above on the examination or if the student
achieves a score as provided by Subsection (c-1). If a student is
given credit in a subject on the basis of an examination, the
district shall enter the examination score on the student's
transcript and the student is not required to take an end-of-course
assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) for that
subject.
(c-1) A school district shall give a student in grade level
six or above credit for a subject if the student scores:
(1) a three or higher on an advanced placement
examination approved by the board of trustees or the board's
designee under Subsection (a) and developed by the College Board;
or
(2) a scaled score of 50 or higher on an examination
approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under
Subsection (a) and administered through the College-Level
Examination Program.
(d) Each district shall administer each examination
approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under
Subsection (a) not fewer than four times each year, at times to be
determined by the State Board of Education.
(h) This subsection applies only to a school district
surrounded by a school district described by Section
11.065(a). Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a
school district's board of trustees or the board's designee may
establish a minimum required score for each section of an
examination for acceleration or an examination for credit approved
by the board or the board's designee under Subsection (a) that is
higher than the minimum required scores under Subsections (b) and
(c), respectively. A minimum required score established by a board
of trustees or the board's designee under this subsection:
(1) may be no greater than a score in the 90th
percentile;
(2) must be established before the beginning of a
school year for examinations to be administered in the school year;
and
(3) must apply for at least the entire school year.
SECTION 6. Sections 29.089(c) and (d), Education Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(c) The [board of trustees of the] district shall obtain the
consent of a student's parent or guardian before allowing the
student to participate in the program.
(d) The [board of trustees of the] district may arrange for
any public or nonprofit community-based organization to come to the
district's schools and implement the program.
SECTION 7. Section 29.183, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 29.183. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS. (a) A [The board of trustees of a] school district may
conduct and supervise career and technology classes and other
educational programs for students and for other persons of all ages
and spend local maintenance funds for the cost of those classes and
programs.
(b) In developing a career and technology program, the
district [board of trustees] shall consider the state plan for
career and technology education required under Section 29.182.
SECTION 8. Section 54.363(f), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(f) The board of trustees or the board's designee of a
school district shall establish a plan to encourage the hiring of
educational aides who show a willingness to become certified
teachers.
SECTION 9. The board of trustees of a school district to
which Section 11.052(b-1), Education Code, as added by this Act,
applies shall adopt an order as required by that subsection not
later than December 31, 2025.
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.