Bill Text: TX SB2112 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to creating a single countywide school district in certain counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-28 - Referred to Education [SB2112 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB2112-Introduced.html
85R9709 PAM-D | ||
By: Lucio | S.B. No. 2112 |
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relating to creating a single countywide school district in certain | ||
counties. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 13, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter D-1 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER D-1. COUNTY CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN | ||
CERTAIN COUNTIES | ||
Sec. 13.181. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only | ||
to a county that contains an international border and borders the | ||
Gulf of Mexico. | ||
Sec. 13.182. DETACHMENT OF CERTAIN DISTRICT TERRITORY. (a) | ||
Except as provided by Subsection (b), effective July 1, 2018, the | ||
territory of a school district that is partly located in a county | ||
subject to this subchapter shall be detached from that district and | ||
that territory is annexed and consolidated into a countywide | ||
district as provided by Section 13.183. | ||
(b) This section does not apply to territory of a school | ||
district that is partly located in a county subject to this | ||
subchapter if that territory overlaps one or more school districts | ||
wholly located in that county and provides only middle school, | ||
junior high school, and high school magnet programs, academies, or | ||
similar special programs in that territory. | ||
Sec. 13.183. CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CERTAIN | ||
OTHER TERRITORY. Effective July 1, 2018, each school district | ||
wholly located in a county subject to this subchapter and any | ||
detached territory to which Section 13.182 applies are consolidated | ||
into a single countywide school district. | ||
Sec. 13.184. STATUS; TRANSITIONAL GOVERNANCE OF | ||
CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT. (a) The consolidated district is an | ||
independent school district. | ||
(b) The board of trustees of the consolidating school | ||
district wholly located in the county that had the largest | ||
enrollment during the 2017-2018 school year serves as the board of | ||
trustees of the consolidated district until the next uniform | ||
election date, at which time the consolidated school district shall | ||
elect a board of trustees as provided by Section 13.185. | ||
Sec. 13.185. BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL | ||
DISTRICT. (a) Notwithstanding Subchapter C, Chapter 11, the | ||
consolidated school district is governed by a board of trustees | ||
elected as follows: | ||
(1) two trustees elected from each county | ||
commissioners precinct; and | ||
(2) one trustee elected from the county at large. | ||
(b) The trustees serve staggered terms of four years, with | ||
the terms of four or five of the trustees expiring every two years, | ||
as appropriate. | ||
(c) At the first election at which the trustees are elected | ||
in the manner authorized by this section and after each | ||
redistricting, all positions on the board shall be filled. The | ||
trustees then elected shall draw lots to determine the four | ||
trustees who serve an initial term of two years. | ||
(d) The trustee elected from the county at large serves as | ||
the presiding officer of the board of trustees. | ||
Sec. 13.186. TITLE TO PROPERTY; ASSUMPTION OF DEBT. (a) | ||
Title to all property of the consolidating districts wholly located | ||
in the county vests in the consolidated district, and the | ||
consolidated district assumes and is liable for the outstanding | ||
indebtedness of those consolidating districts. | ||
(b) Title to all real property of a district from which | ||
territory is detached under Section 13.182 vests in the | ||
consolidated district, and the consolidated district assumes and is | ||
liable for any portion of the indebtedness of the district from | ||
which the territory is detached that is allocated to the | ||
consolidated district as provided by Section 13.004. | ||
Sec. 13.187. REPORT. (a) Not later than December 1 of each | ||
even-numbered year, the board of trustees of the consolidated | ||
school district shall prepare and deliver to the governor, | ||
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and | ||
presiding officer of each standing legislative committee with | ||
primary jurisdiction over public education a report that: | ||
(1) evaluates the operation of the consolidated school | ||
district to determine whether an increase in administrative | ||
efficiency or any cost savings have resulted from the countywide | ||
consolidation of school districts and any applicable detached | ||
territory; and | ||
(2) makes recommendations for any additional | ||
legislative action to enhance the efficiency of the operation of | ||
the consolidated district. | ||
(b) This section expires September 1, 2021. | ||
SECTION 2. 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, 2017. |