Bill Text: TX SB272 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to requiring the board of trustees of each school district to create a nonvoting student trustee position on the board.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-05-05 - Not again placed on intent calendar [SB272 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB272-Comm_Sub.html
By: West | S.B. No. 272 | |
(In the Senate - Filed December 30, 2020; March 3, 2021, | ||
read first time and referred to Committee on Education; | ||
April 19, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, | ||
Nays 0; April 19, 2021, sent to printer.) | ||
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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) 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, 2021. | ||
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