Bill Text: TX HB3281 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to public school accountability.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-28 - Left pending in committee [HB3281 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB3281-Introduced.html
  84R8931 JSL-F
 
  By: Frank H.B. No. 3281
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to public school accountability.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 12.1141, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (d) and (k) and adding Subsections (l) and (m)
  to read as follows:
         (d)  At the end of the term of a charter for an
  open-enrollment charter school, if a charter holder submits to the
  commissioner a petition for renewal of the charter, the
  commissioner may not renew the charter and shall allow the charter
  to expire if:
               (1)  the charter holder has been assigned the lowest
  performance rating under Subchapter C, Chapter 39, for any three of
  the five preceding school years;
               (2)  the charter holder has been assigned a financial
  accountability performance rating under Subchapter D, Chapter 39,
  indicating financial performance that is lower than satisfactory
  for any three of the five preceding school years; or
               (3)  [the charter holder has been assigned any
  combination of the ratings described by Subdivision (1) or (2) for
  any three of the five preceding school years; or
               [(4)]  any campus operating under the charter has been
  assigned the lowest performance rating under Subchapter C, Chapter
  39, for the three preceding school years and such a campus has not
  been closed.
         (k)  For purposes of determination of renewal under
  Subsection (b)(1) or (3) or (d)(1) or (3) [(4)], performance during
  the 2011-2012 school year may not be considered.  For purposes of
  determination of renewal under Subsection (b)(1) or (3) or (d)(1)
  or (3) [(4)], the initial three school years for which performance
  ratings under Subchapter C, Chapter 39, shall be considered are the
  2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2012-2013 school years.  For purposes of
  determination of renewal under Subsection (b)(2) or (d)(2), the
  earliest school year for which financial accountability
  performance ratings under Subchapter D, Chapter 39, may be
  considered is the 2010-2011 school year.  This subsection expires
  September 1, 2016.
         (l)  For purposes of determination of renewal under
  Subsection (d)(1), the charter holder's first assigned performance
  rating under Subchapter C, Chapter 39, may not be considered. For
  purposes of determination of renewal under Subsection (d)(2), the
  charter holder's first assigned performance rating under
  Subchapter D, Chapter 39, may not be considered.
         (m)  For purposes of determination of renewal under
  Subsection (d)(1), the charter holder's assigned performance
  rating under Subchapter C, Chapter 39, may not be considered unless
  the accountability ratings criteria and targets for assigning the
  performance rating are adopted in rule and have been in effect as
  adopted for at least two full school years preceding the date on
  which the rating was assigned. For purposes of determination of
  renewal under Subsection (d)(2), the charter holder's assigned
  performance rating under Subchapter D, Chapter 39, may not be
  considered unless the financial accountability rating system on
  which the performance rating is based is adopted in rule and has
  been in effect as adopted for at least two full school years
  preceding the date on which the rating was assigned.
         SECTION 2.  Section 12.115, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (c-1) and adding
  Subsections (c-2) and (c-3) to read as follows:
         (a)  The [Except as provided by Subsection (c), the]
  commissioner shall revoke the charter of an open-enrollment charter
  school or reconstitute the governing body of the charter holder if
  the commissioner determines that the charter holder:
               (1)  committed a material violation of the charter,
  including failure to satisfy accountability provisions prescribed
  by the charter;
               (2)  failed to satisfy generally accepted accounting
  standards of fiscal management;
               (3)  failed to protect the health, safety, or welfare
  of the students enrolled at the school;
               (4)  failed to comply with this subchapter or another
  applicable law or rule;
               (5)  failed to satisfy the performance framework
  standards adopted under Section 12.1181; or
               (6)  is imminently insolvent as determined by the
  commissioner in accordance with commissioner rule.
         (b)  The action the commissioner takes under Subsection (a)
  shall be based on the best interest of the open-enrollment charter
  school's students, the severity of the violation, any previous
  violation the school has committed, and the accreditation status of
  the school. The commissioner shall also consider whether:
               (1)  the charter holder has:
                     (A)  timely complied with any corrective action
  plans relating to the violation;
                     (B)  no prior or subsequent history of similar
  violations; and
                     (C)  remedied the violation without intervention
  by the commissioner and has taken proactive measures to prevent
  reoccurrence; and
               (2)  substantial amounts of time have passed between
  the occurrences of the violation.
         (c)  The commissioner shall revoke the charter of an
  open-enrollment charter school or reconstitute the governing body
  of the charter holder if:
               (1)  the charter holder has been assigned an
  unacceptable performance rating under Subchapter C, Chapter 39, for
  the three preceding school years; or
               (2)  the charter holder has been assigned a financial
  accountability performance rating under Subchapter D, Chapter 39,
  indicating financial performance lower than satisfactory for the
  three preceding school years[; or
               [(3)     the charter holder has been assigned any
  combination of the ratings described by Subdivision (1) or (2) for
  the three preceding school years].
         (c-1)  [For purposes of revocation under Subsection (c)(1),
  performance during the 2011-2012 school year may not be
  considered.] For purposes of revocation under Subsection (c)(1),
  the first [initial three] school year [years] for which performance
  ratings under Subchapter C, Chapter 39, shall be considered is
  [are] the [2009-2010, 2010-2011, and] 2012-2013 school year
  [years].  For purposes of revocation under Subsection (c)(2), the
  first [initial three] school year [years] for which financial
  accountability performance ratings under Subchapter D, Chapter 39,
  shall be considered is [are] the 2015-2016 [2010-2011, 2011-2012,
  and 2012-2013] school year [years].  This subsection expires
  September 1, 2018 [2016].
         (c-2)  For purposes of revocation under Subsection (c)(1), a
  charter holder's first assigned performance rating under
  Subchapter C, Chapter 39, may not be considered. For purposes of
  revocation under Subsection (c)(2), a charter holder's first
  assigned performance rating under Subchapter D, Chapter 39, may not
  be considered.
         (c-3)  For purposes of revocation under Subsection (c)(1), a
  charter holder's assigned performance rating under Subchapter C,
  Chapter 39, may not be considered unless the accountability ratings
  criteria and targets for assigning the performance rating are
  adopted in rule and have been in effect as adopted for at least two
  full school years preceding the date on which the rating was
  assigned. For purposes of revocation under Subsection (c)(2), the
  charter holder's assigned performance rating under Subchapter D,
  Chapter 39, may not be considered unless the financial
  accountability rating system on which the performance rating is
  based is adopted in rule and has been in effect as adopted for at
  least two full school years preceding the date on which the rating
  was assigned.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 12.1151 to read as follows:
         Sec. 12.1151.  ALTERNATIVES TO REVOCATION. (a) Before the
  commissioner revokes the charter of an open-enrollment charter
  school under Section 12.115(c), the commissioner shall consider an
  alternative operation of the school proposed by the charter holder
  as provided by this section.
         (b)  A charter holder whose charter is subject to revocation
  under Section 12.115(c) may request the commissioner:
               (1)  to assign operation of one or more campuses
  operated under the charter to a different charter holder who
  consents to the assignment;
               (2)  to transfer the charter to a different charter
  holder who consents to the transfer;
               (3)  to consolidate the charter with the charter of a
  different charter holder who consents to the consolidation; or
               (4)  to take any other reasonable and equitable action
  as an alternative to charter revocation.
         (c)  A charter holder that is involved as an alternative to
  the original charter holder as provided by Subsection (b) must not
  have been assigned:
               (1)  an unacceptable performance rating under
  Subchapter C, Chapter 39, for the two preceding school years; or
               (2)  a financial accountability performance rating
  under Subchapter D, Chapter 39, indicating financial performance
  lower than satisfactory for the two preceding school years.
         (d)  Any action the commissioner takes under this section
  must be based on the best interest of the students of the
  open-enrollment charter school for which the commissioner approves
  an alternative operation under Subsection (a).
         SECTION 4.  Section 12.116, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall adopt an informal procedure to be
  used for:
               (1)  revoking the charter of an open-enrollment charter
  school or for reconstituting the governing body of the charter
  holder as authorized by Section 12.115; and
               (2)  denying the renewal of a charter of an
  open-enrollment charter school as authorized by Section
  12.1141(c).
         (a-1)  The procedure adopted under Subsection (a) must allow
  representatives of the charter holder to meet with the commissioner
  to discuss the commissioner's decision and must allow the charter
  holder to submit additional information to the commissioner
  relating to the commissioner's decision. In a final decision issued
  by the commissioner, the commissioner shall provide a written
  response to any information the charter holder submits under this
  subsection.
         (c)  A decision by the commissioner to revoke a charter is
  subject to review by the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
  As part of a review under this subsection, the State Office of
  Administrative Hearings may, subject to Section 39.151(d), also
  review a performance rating under Subchapter C, Chapter 39, or a
  financial accountability performance rating under Subchapter D,
  Chapter 39. Notwithstanding Chapter 2001, Government Code:
               (1)  the administrative law judge shall uphold a
  decision by the commissioner to revoke a charter unless the judge
  finds the decision is arbitrary and capricious or clearly
  erroneous; and
               (2)  a decision of the administrative law judge under
  this subsection is final and may not be appealed.
         SECTION 5.  Section 39.151, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c-1) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  The rules under Subsection (a) must provide for the
  commissioner to appoint a committee to make recommendations to the
  commissioner on a challenge made to an agency decision relating to
  an academic performance rating or determination or financial
  accountability rating. The committee shall review the challenge
  regardless of the issue identified in the challenge by the school
  district or open-enrollment charter school. The commissioner may
  not appoint an agency employee as a member of the committee.
         (c-1)  The commissioner may not limit a challenge relating to
  a data or calculation error or inaccuracy attributable to the
  school district or open-enrollment charter school, even if the
  challenge demonstrates the data or calculation error or inaccuracy
  caused the district or school to have a lower academic or financial
  accountability rating. If a challenge demonstrates that the data or
  calculation error or inaccuracy caused the district or school to
  have a lower academic or financial accountability rating, the
  commissioner shall assign the district or school the corrected
  rating or shall indicate that the district or school will not be
  rated for that school year.  The commissioner may not revoke the
  charter of an open-enrollment charter school or reconstitute the
  governing body of a charter holder as provided by Section 12.115(c)
  if the school is not rated as provided by this subsection.
         SECTION 6.  This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
  school year.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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