Bill Text: TX HB3789 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Achievement School District for the education of students attending campuses removed from the jurisdiction of a school district or open-enrollment charter school.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-21 - Referred to Public Education [HB3789 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HB3789-Introduced.html
  2013S0302-1 02/18/13
 
  By: Perry H.B. No. 3789
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the establishment of the Texas Achievement School
  District for the education of students attending campuses removed
  from the jurisdiction of a school district or open-enrollment
  charter school.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 11, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter I to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER I.  TEXAS ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
         Sec. 11.401.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "District" means the Texas Achievement School
  District created under this subchapter.
               (2)  "Prior system" means a school district or
  open-enrollment charter school from which a campus is removed under
  Section 39.107.
         Sec. 11.402.  TEXAS ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
  ESTABLISHED. (a)  The Texas Achievement School District is
  established as a school district under the laws of this state, and
  as an intermediate educational unit under 34 C.F.R. Section 222.50,
  for the education of students attending any campus removed from the
  jurisdiction of a school district or open-enrollment charter school
  under Section 39.107.
         (b)  The superintendent of the district shall report to the
  commissioner under a written contract for services.
         (c)  The district does not have authority to impose taxes,
  but may seek and expend federal funding and grant funding and may
  otherwise seek, obtain, and expend funding with the same authority
  as an independent school district.
         (d)  The district may provide for the supervision,
  management, and operation of each campus removed to its
  jurisdiction and may receive, control, and expend the local, state,
  and federal funding attributable to that campus with all the same
  power and authority as the prior system, subject to the
  requirements of this subchapter and Section 39.107, and with any
  other power or authority otherwise granted by law.
         (e)  The district is entitled to the same level of services
  from regional education service centers as that provided to other
  school districts and is entitled to participate in any state
  program available to school districts, including a purchasing
  program.  In addition, using funds appropriated for the regional
  education service centers, the commissioner shall direct that
  appropriate administrative facilities and support be made
  available to serve as the central administrative offices of the
  district.
         (f)  The district shall reform and operate each campus under
  its jurisdiction in whatever manner is determined by the
  superintendent to be most likely to bring the school to an
  acceptable level of performance under Chapter 39. The district may
  contract with a public or private entity for educational services
  to the students attending campuses removed to the district and
  shall, in the sole discretion of the superintendent, reconstitute,
  repurpose, alternatively manage, convert to charter status, or
  otherwise reform each campus based on the unique circumstances
  presented by the campus.
         (g)  The district may employ such staff as the superintendent
  considers necessary.
         Sec. 11.403.  APPLICABILITY OF LAWS, RULES, AND ORDINANCES.
  (a)  Except as expressly provided by law, the district is subject
  to federal and state laws and rules governing public schools and to
  municipal zoning ordinances governing public schools.
         (b)  Except as expressly provided by law, the district is
  subject to a provision of this title to the extent and in the manner
  that such provision applies to an open-enrollment charter school
  under Subchapter D, Chapter 12.
         Sec. 11.404.  IMMUNITY. The district is immune from
  liability to the same extent as any other school district, and its
  employees and volunteers are immune from liability to the same
  extent as other school district employees and volunteers.
         Sec. 11.405.  MEMBERSHIP IN TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF
  TEXAS BY DISTRICT EMPLOYEES. (a)  An employee of the district who
  qualifies for membership in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
  is covered under the system to the same extent that a qualified
  employee of any other school district is covered.
         (b)  For each employee of the district covered under the
  Teacher Retirement System of Texas, the district and the state
  shall make their respective contributions to the same extent to
  which each would be legally responsible if the employee were the
  employee of another school district.
         Sec. 11.406.  FUNDING OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN DISTRICT.
  (a)  The district is entitled to receive for the education of
  students at each campus removed to the district funding under
  Chapter 42 equal to the amount of funding per student in weighted
  average daily attendance to which the prior system would be
  entitled under that chapter if it were a school district without a
  tier one local share for purposes of Section 42.253.
         (b)  In determining funding for the district under
  Subsection (a), adjustment under Section 42.102, 42.103, 42.104, or
  42.105 is based on the actual adjustment for the prior system. In
  addition to the funding provided by Subsection (a), the district is
  entitled to receive enrichment funding under Section 42.302 based
  on the actual amount received by the prior system.
         (c)  In determining funding for the district under
  Subsection (a), the commissioner shall apply the same adjustment
  factor provided under Section 42.101 to calculate the regular
  program allotment as was applied for the prior system.
         (d)  The district is entitled to funds that are available to
  other school districts from the agency or the commissioner in the
  form of grants or other discretionary funding. The district is
  entitled to a pro rata share of all revenue disbursed to the prior
  system by the agency or the commissioner in the form of grants or
  other discretionary funding.
         (e)  The district is entitled to share in the available
  school fund apportionment and other privileges to the same extent
  and in the same manner as did the prior system. The district shall
  report its student attendance and receive funding in the same
  manner as any other district.
         (f)  The amount of funding the prior system is entitled to
  receive under Chapter 42 is reduced by an amount equal to the amount
  of funding received by the district under this section, including
  the tier one local share.
         (g)  Funds received by the district under this section shall
  be used for the operation and administration of campuses removed to
  the district under Section 39.107.
         (h)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
  implement this section.
         Sec. 11.407.  USE OF FACILITIES. (a)  The district has the
  unrestricted right to use any school building and all facilities
  and property otherwise part of a removed campus and recognized as
  part of the facilities or assets of the campus prior to its removal
  to the district.  The district is responsible for and obligated to
  provide for routine maintenance and repair, and the facilities and
  property must be maintained in as good an order as when the right of
  use was acquired by the district.  The district is not required to
  provide for extensive repair to buildings or facilities that would
  be considered a capital expense.  Such repairs are the
  responsibility of the prior system.
         (b)  In addition to the buildings, facilities, and property
  described by Subsection (a), the district has access to such
  additional facilities as were typically available to the students,
  faculty, and staff of a campus prior to its removal to the district.
         Sec. 11.408.  SUPPORT BY PRIOR SYSTEM. The district may
  require the prior system to provide school support or student
  support services for a campus removed from its jurisdiction,
  including student transportation, school food service, and student
  assessment for special education eligibility, that are compliant
  with all laws and regulations governing such services.  The
  district shall reimburse the actual cost of such services to the
  prior system.  If the district and the prior system are unable to
  agree on the actual cost of services to be reimbursed, the
  commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall determine the
  cost to be reimbursed.
         Sec. 11.409.  ACHIEVEMENT CHARTER SCHOOLS. (a)  The
  district may design and grant campus charters under Section
  12.0521(a)(1) to new campuses created by the district for the
  purpose of applying its experience and expertise in turning around
  persistently low-performing campuses.  The district shall develop a
  statewide plan under this section to be submitted in the manner
  provided by Section 39.332.
         (b)  A new charter under this section is eligible for funding
  under Section 11.406.  Any administrative cost of authorizing
  charter activities under this section may be paid from funds
  appropriated to the agency.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (f), Section 39.106, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (f)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
  if the commissioner determines that a campus for which an
  intervention is ordered under Subsection (a) is not fully
  implementing the campus intervention team's recommendations or
  targeted improvement plan or updated plan, the commissioner may
  order the removal [reconstitution] of the campus as provided by
  Section 39.107.
         SECTION 3.  Section 39.107, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 39.107.  REMOVAL OF CAMPUS TO TEXAS ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL
  DISTRICT [RECONSTITUTION, REPURPOSING, ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENT, AND
  CLOSURE]. (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "District" means the Texas Achievement School
  District established under Subchapter I, Chapter 11.
               (2)  "Prior system" has the meaning assigned by Section
  11.401.
               (3)  "Superintendent" means the superintendent of the
  district.
         (b)  After a campus has been identified as unacceptable for
  two consecutive school years, the commissioner, after consulting
  with the superintendent, shall order the removal [reconstitution]
  of the campus to the district. The removed campus shall be
  reorganized and reformed, as necessary, and operated by the
  district in whatever manner the superintendent determines to be
  most likely to bring the school to an acceptable level of
  performance under this chapter. The district shall retain
  jurisdiction over the removed campus until the campus is returned
  to the prior system under Subsection (f) or (g).
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a student in
  the assigned attendance zone of a campus that is removed under this
  section may attend the campus after its removal to the district or
  may exercise an option, to be made available by the prior system, to
  attend another campus remaining under the jurisdiction of the prior
  system. Only a student eligible to attend the campus under the
  prior system may attend the campus after its removal to the
  district. However, a student eligible to participate in a school
  choice program established by the prior system may attend a campus
  after its removal if the campus has the capacity to add the student
  in the appropriate grade. The superintendent shall determine the
  maximum capacity of each district campus by grade level.
         (d) [(a-1)     In reconstituting a campus, a campus
  intervention team shall assist the campus in:
               [(1)  developing an updated targeted improvement plan;
               [(2)     submitting the updated targeted improvement plan
  to the board of trustees of the school district for approval and
  presenting the plan in a public hearing as provided by Section
  39.106(e-1);
               [(3)     obtaining approval of the updated plan from the
  commissioner; and
               [(4)     executing the plan on approval by the
  commissioner.
         [(b)]  The superintendent has sole discretion to determine
  [campus intervention team shall decide] which educators may be
  retained at a removed [that] campus. A certified teacher with
  regular and direct responsibility for providing classroom
  instruction to students must be given priority consideration for
  employment in a comparable position at the removed campus. A person
  who is not retained by the district or who chooses to remain
  employed by the prior system may be reassigned by the prior system
  consistent with the prior system's contractual obligations or
  policies regarding the retention and reassignment of employees. [A
  principal who has been employed by the campus in that capacity
  during the full period described by Subsection (a) may not be
  retained at that campus unless the campus intervention team
  determines that retention of the principal would be more beneficial
  to the student achievement and campus stability than removal.
         [(b-1)     A teacher of a subject assessed by an assessment
  instrument under Section 39.023 may be retained only if the campus
  intervention team determines that a pattern exists of significant
  academic improvement by students taught by the teacher. If an
  educator is not retained, the educator may be assigned to another
  position in the district.
         [(b-2)     For each year that a campus is considered to have an
  unacceptable performance rating, a campus intervention team shall:
               [(1)     assist in updating the targeted improvement plan
  to identify and analyze areas of growth and areas that require
  improvement;
               [(2)  submit the updated plan to:
                     [(A)     the board of trustees of the school
  district; and
                     [(B)  the parents of campus students; and
               [(3)     assist in submitting the updated plan to the
  commissioner for approval.
         [(c)     A campus subject to Subsection (a) shall implement the
  updated targeted improvement plan as approved by the commissioner.
  The commissioner may appoint a monitor, conservator, management
  team, or board of managers to the district to ensure and oversee
  district-level support to low-performing campuses and the
  implementation of the updated targeted improvement plan. In making
  appointments under this subsection, the commissioner shall
  consider individuals who have demonstrated success in managing
  campuses with student populations similar to the campus at which
  the individual appointed will serve.
         [(d)     If the commissioner determines that the campus is not
  fully implementing the updated targeted improvement plan or if the
  students enrolled at the campus fail to demonstrate substantial
  improvement in the areas targeted by the updated plan, the
  commissioner may order:
               [(1)  repurposing of the campus under this section;
               [(2)     alternative management of the campus under this
  section; or
               [(3)  closure of the campus.]
         (e)  For the purposes of any benefit or right requiring
  continuous service or based on years of service, the prior system
  must grant a leave of absence to any person who is employed at a
  campus when the campus is removed under this section and who is
  subsequently retained by the district. The prior system is not
  required to provide benefits during such leave of absence. If the
  employee subsequently returns to the prior system's employment, the
  employee's period of employment at the removed campus qualifies as
  service time. The benefits and privileges of any person employed at
  a removed campus, or employed by an operator of a removed campus
  under contract with the district, who was not employed by the prior
  system when the campus was removed to the district shall be
  determined by the district or operator, in compliance with
  applicable law, at the time of employment.
         (f)  When a removed campus achieves an acceptable level of
  performance under this chapter, the commissioner, upon the
  recommendation of the superintendent, shall direct the district and
  the prior system to enter into an agreement to return the campus to
  the prior system. The agreement must include provisions:
               (1)  detailing the operation of the campus after its
  return to the prior system, including provisions for the
  continuation of the programs that have provided the basis for
  improved academic achievement by students;
               (2)  describing the employment status of all persons
  employed at the campus who were not employed by the prior system at
  the time the campus was removed to the district; and
               (3)  detailing the means and timetable for the
  transition and return of the campus to the prior system.
         (g)  If a removed campus fails to achieve an acceptable level
  of performance under this chapter within three years following
  removal of the campus, the superintendent shall:
               (1)  organize a new campus under district jurisdiction
  for the education of students eligible to attend the campus
  initially removed from the prior system;
               (2)  grant the new campus a charter under Section
  12.0521(a)(1);
               (3)  reform and operate the new campus charter in
  whatever manner is determined by the superintendent to be most
  likely to bring the school to an acceptable level of performance
  under this chapter;
               (4)  seek agreement to return the campus charter to the
  prior system when eligibility is established under Subsection (f);
               (5)  in the next statewide plan required under Section
  11.409, address the failure of the campus to achieve an acceptable
  level of performance within three years; and
               (6)  record, for annual reporting in accordance with
  Section 39.332(b)(22-a), the actions taken under Subdivisions
  (1)-(5).
         (h)  [If a campus is considered to have an unacceptable
  performance rating for three consecutive school years after the
  campus is reconstituted under Subsection (a), the commissioner,
  subject to Subsection (e-1) or (e-2), shall order:
               [(1)  repurposing of the campus under this section;
               [(2)     alternative management of the campus under this
  section; or
               [(3)  closure of the campus.
         [(e-1)     The commissioner may waive the requirement to enter
  an order under Subsection (e) for not more than one school year if
  the commissioner determines that, on the basis of significant
  improvement in student performance over the preceding two school
  years, the campus is likely to be assigned an acceptable
  performance rating for the following school year.
         [(e-2)]  For purposes of this subsection, "parent" has the
  meaning assigned by Section 12.051. The provisions of Subsections
  (a)-(e-1) and (f)-(r), as in effect on May 31, 2013, governing
  repurposing, alternative management, and closure of a campus shall
  continue in full force and effect and shall be implemented by order
  of the commissioner if [If] the commissioner is presented, in the
  time and manner specified by commissioner rule:
               (1)  [,] a written petition signed by the parents of a
  majority of the students enrolled at a campus described by [to
  which] Subsection (g) [(e) applies], specifying [the action
  described by Subsection (e)(1), (2), or (3)] that the parents
  request that the commissioner make such [to] order; or
               (2)  a written request by a campus governing body
  established by the district under this section, including [the
  commissioner shall, except as otherwise authorized by this
  subsection, order the specific action requested. If the board of
  trustees of the school district in which the campus is located
  presents to the commissioner, in the time and manner specified by
  commissioner rule, a written request that the commissioner order
  specific action authorized under Subsection (e) other than the
  specific action requested in the parents' petition and] a written
  explanation of the basis for the body's [board's] request,
  specifying that the body requests that the commissioner make such
  [may] order [the action requested by the board of trustees].
         (i) [(e-3)]  For purposes of Subsection (h)(1) [(e-2)], the
  signature of only one parent of a student is required.
         (j) [(f)     If the commissioner orders repurposing of a
  campus, the school district shall develop a comprehensive plan for
  repurposing the campus and submit the plan to the board of trustees
  for approval, using the procedures described by Section
  39.106(e-1), and to the commissioner for approval.   The plan must
  include a description of a rigorous and relevant academic program
  for the campus.   The plan may include various instructional models.  
  The commissioner may not approve the repurposing of a campus
  unless:
               [(1)     all students in the assigned attendance zone of
  the campus in the school year immediately preceding the repurposing
  of the campus are provided with the opportunity to enroll in and are
  provided transportation on request to another campus, unless the
  commissioner grants an exception because there is no other campus
  in the district in which the students may enroll;
               [(2)     the principal is not retained at the campus,
  unless the commissioner determines that students enrolled at the
  campus have demonstrated significant academic improvement; and
               [(3)     teachers employed at the campus in the school
  year immediately preceding the repurposing of the campus are not
  retained at the campus, unless the commissioner or the
  commissioner's designee grants an exception, at the request of a
  school district, for:
                     [(A)     a teacher who provides instruction in a
  subject other than a subject for which an assessment instrument is
  administered under Section 39.023(a) or (c) who demonstrates to the
  commissioner satisfactory performance; or
                     [(B)     a teacher who provides instruction in a
  subject for which an assessment instrument is administered under
  Section 39.023(a) or (c) if the district demonstrates that the
  students of the teacher demonstrated satisfactory performance or
  improved academic growth on that assessment instrument.
         [(g)     If an educator is not retained under Subsection (f),
  the educator may be assigned to another position in the district.
         [(h)     If the commissioner orders alternative management
  under this section, the commissioner shall solicit proposals from
  qualified nonprofit entities to assume management of a campus
  subject to this section or may appoint to assume management of a
  campus subject to this section a school district other than the
  district in which the campus is located that is located in the
  boundaries of the same regional education service center as the
  campus is located. The commissioner may solicit proposals from
  qualified for-profit entities to assume management of a campus
  subject to this section if a nonprofit entity has not responded to
  the commissioner's request for proposals. A district appointed
  under this section shall assume management of a campus subject to
  this section in the same manner provided by this section for a
  qualified entity or in accordance with commissioner rule.
         [(i)]  If the commissioner determines that the basis for the
  unsatisfactory performance of a campus for more than two
  consecutive school years is limited to a specific condition that
  may be remedied with targeted technical assistance, the
  commissioner may require the school district to contract for the
  appropriate technical assistance in lieu of removal under this
  section.
         [(j)     The commissioner may annually solicit proposals under
  this section for the management of a campus subject to this section.
  The commissioner shall notify a qualified entity that has been
  approved as a provider under this section. The district must
  execute a contract with an approved provider and relinquish control
  of the campus before January 1 of the school year.]
         (k)  [To qualify for consideration as a managing entity under
  this section, the entity must submit a proposal that provides
  information relating to the entity's management and leadership team
  that will participate in management of the campus under
  consideration, including information relating to individuals that
  have:
               [(1)     documented success in whole school interventions
  that increased the educational and performance levels of students
  in campuses considered to have an unacceptable performance rating;
               [(2)     a proven record of effectiveness with programs
  assisting low-performing students;
               [(3)     a proven ability to apply research-based school
  intervention strategies;
               [(4)     a proven record of financial ability to perform
  under the management contract; and
               [(5)     any other experience or qualifications the
  commissioner determines necessary.
         [(l)     In selecting a managing entity under this section, the
  commissioner shall give preference to a qualified entity that:
               [(1)  meets any qualifications under this section; and
               [(2)     has documented success in educating students from
  similar demographic groups and with similar educational needs as
  the students who attend the campus that is to be operated by a
  managing entity under this section.
         [(m)     The school district may negotiate the term of a
  management contract for not more than five years with an option to
  renew the contract. The management contract must include a
  provision describing the district's responsibilities in supporting
  the operation of the campus. The commissioner shall approve the
  contract before the contract is executed and, as appropriate, may
  require the district, as a term of the contract, to support the
  campus in the same manner as the district was required to support
  the campus before the execution of the management contract.
         [(n)     A management contract under this section shall include
  provisions approved by the commissioner that require the managing
  entity to demonstrate improvement in campus performance, including
  negotiated performance measures. The performance measures must be
  consistent with the priorities of this chapter. The commissioner
  shall evaluate a managing entity's performance on the first and
  second anniversaries of the date of the management contract. If the
  evaluation fails to demonstrate improvement as negotiated under the
  contract by the first anniversary of the date of the management
  contract, the district may terminate the management contract, with
  the commissioner's consent, for nonperformance or breach of
  contract and select another provider from an approved list provided
  by the commissioner. If the evaluation fails to demonstrate
  significant improvement, as determined by the commissioner, by the
  second anniversary of the date of the management contract, the
  district shall terminate the management contract and select another
  provider from an approved list provided by the commissioner or
  resume operation of the campus if approved by the commissioner. If
  the commissioner approves the district's operation of the campus,
  the commissioner shall assign a technical assistance team to assist
  the campus.
         [(o)]  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the
  funding for a campus removed to the district [operated by a managing
  entity] must be not less than the funding of the other campuses in
  the prior system [district] on a per student basis so that the
  district [managing entity] receives at least the same funding the
  campus would otherwise have received.
         (l) [(p)     Each campus operated by a managing entity under
  this section is subject to this chapter in the same manner as any
  other campus in the district.
         [(q)]  The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to
  implement this section.
         [(r)     With respect to the management of a campus under this
  section:
               [(1)     a managing entity is considered to be a
  governmental body for purposes of Chapters 551 and 552, Government
  Code; and
               [(2)     any requirement in Chapter 551 or 552, Government
  Code, that applies to a school district or the board of trustees of
  a school district applies to a managing entity.]
         SECTION 4.  Section 39.108, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 39.108.  ANNUAL REVIEW. The commissioner shall review
  annually the performance of a district or campus subject to this
  subchapter, including the Texas Achievement School District, to
  determine the appropriate actions to be implemented under this
  subchapter.  The commissioner must review at least annually the
  performance of a district for which the accreditation status or
  rating has been lowered due to insufficient student performance and
  may not raise the accreditation status or rating until the district
  has demonstrated improved student performance.  If the review
  reveals a lack of improvement, the commissioner shall increase the
  level of state intervention and sanction unless the commissioner
  finds good cause for maintaining the current status.
         SECTION 5.  Subsection (b), Section 39.332, Education Code,
  is amended by adding Subdivision (22-a) to read as follows:
               (22-a)  Based on the annual review required under
  Section 39.108, the report must contain a listing and description
  of the status of each campus under the jurisdiction of the Texas
  Achievement School District and a summary of the reforms
  implemented and progress achieved by each campus.
         SECTION 6.  Section 39.115, Education Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 7.  This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014
  school year.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect August 1, 2013, 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 effect on that
  date, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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