Bill Text: TX SB218 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to requiring the board of trustees of each school district to create a nonvoting student trustee position on the board.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-02-03 - Referred to Education K-16 [SB218 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB218-Introduced.html
| 89R1374 MEW-F | ||
| By: West | S.B. No. 218 | |
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| relating to requiring the board of trustees of each school district | ||
| to create a nonvoting student trustee position on the board. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 11.0512 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 11.0512. STUDENT TRUSTEE. (a) In addition to the | ||
| number of trustees of a school district as provided by Section | ||
| 11.051, the board of trustees of each school district shall appoint | ||
| a student trustee in the manner provided by this section. | ||
| (b) The commissioner shall develop a uniform application | ||
| form to be used to solicit eligible applicants for the position of | ||
| student trustee. | ||
| (c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the principal of | ||
| each high school in a school district shall: | ||
| (1) not later than November 1 of each year, solicit | ||
| applicants for appointment to the next regular term of the position | ||
| of student trustee of the school district using the uniform | ||
| application form developed under Subsection (b); | ||
| (2) not later than January 1, select three applicants | ||
| from the applications received to serve as the school's | ||
| recommendations for the position of student trustee; and | ||
| (3) send the school's recommendations and | ||
| corresponding applications to the president of the board of | ||
| trustees of the school district. | ||
| (d) If a school district includes more than one high school, | ||
| the principal of the high school at which a current student trustee | ||
| is enrolled at the time of the student's appointment may not solicit | ||
| applicants for the position of student trustee for the next regular | ||
| term of the position. | ||
| (e) The president of the board of trustees of each school | ||
| district shall select two or more applicants from the applications | ||
| received to serve as recommendations to the board for the student | ||
| trustee position. | ||
| (f) The board of trustees of a school district may request | ||
| to review all applications for the position of student trustee | ||
| received by the board president and may request an applicant to | ||
| submit additional information. | ||
| (g) On June 1, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the | ||
| board by majority vote shall appoint one of the applicants to serve | ||
| as the student trustee for the district for a one-year term expiring | ||
| May 31 of the following year. | ||
| (h) To be eligible for appointment as a student trustee for | ||
| a school district, a person must: | ||
| (1) be enrolled as a student at a high school in the | ||
| district; and | ||
| (2) be in good academic standing as determined by the | ||
| school at which the student is enrolled at the time of appointment. | ||
| (i) Throughout a student's term as a student trustee, the | ||
| student must: | ||
| (1) remain enrolled at the school; and | ||
| (2) maintain a grade point average of 2.5 on a | ||
| four-point scale, or the equivalent. | ||
| (j) The principal of the school at which a student trustee | ||
| is enrolled shall notify the president of the board of trustees of | ||
| the school district if the student trustee fails to maintain the | ||
| qualifications required by Subsection (i). On receiving notice, | ||
| the president of the board of trustees of the school district shall | ||
| declare the position as vacant and as soon as practicable fill the | ||
| vacancy in the manner prescribed by Subsection (l). | ||
| (k) A student trustee is not a member of the board of | ||
| trustees of the school district for which the student is appointed. | ||
| A student trustee has the same powers and duties as a member of the | ||
| board of trustees, including the right to attend and participate in | ||
| meetings of the board, except that the student trustee: | ||
| (1) may not vote on any matter before the board or make | ||
| or second any motion before the board; and | ||
| (2) is not counted in determining whether a quorum | ||
| exists for a meeting of the board or in determining the outcome of | ||
| any vote of the board. | ||
| (l) A vacancy in the position of student trustee for a | ||
| school district shall be filled for the unexpired term by | ||
| appointment by the president of the board of trustees of the school | ||
| district in consultation with the board. | ||
| (m) A student trustee serves without compensation but is | ||
| entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the | ||
| student in attending meetings of the board, subject to the approval | ||
| of the president of the board of trustees of the school district. | ||
| (n) A school district may grant to a student who fulfills | ||
| the requirements of service of a student trustee not more than one | ||
| academic course credit in a subject area determined appropriate by | ||
| the district. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 11.0511, Education Code, is repealed. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
