bill requiring in-person school complaint hearings

The text as introduced · 429 words

89R8450 RAL-D

By: Gámez
H.B. No. 4411

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to school district hearings regarding complaints.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 11.1511(b), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) The board shall:

(1) seek to establish working relationships with other

public entities to make effective use of community resources and to

serve the needs of public school students in the community;

(2) adopt a vision statement and comprehensive goals

for the district and the superintendent and monitor progress toward

those goals;

(3) establish performance goals for the district

concerning:

(A) the academic and fiscal performance

indicators under Subchapters C, D, and J, Chapter 39; and

(B) any performance indicators adopted by the

district;

(4) ensure that the superintendent:

(A) is accountable for achieving performance

results;

(B) recognizes performance accomplishments; and

(C) takes action as necessary to meet performance

goals;

(5) adopt a policy to establish a district- and

campus-level planning and decision-making process as required

under Section 11.251;

(6) publish an annual educational performance report

as required under Section 39.306;

(7) adopt an annual budget for the district as

required under Section 44.004;

(8) adopt a tax rate each fiscal year as required under

Section 26.05, Tax Code;

(9) monitor district finances to ensure that the

superintendent is properly maintaining the district's financial

procedures and records;

(10) ensure that district fiscal accounts are audited

annually as required under Section 44.008;

(11) publish an end-of-year financial report for

distribution to the community;

(12) conduct elections as required by law;

(13) by rule, adopt a process through which district

personnel, students or the parents or guardians of students, and

members of the public may obtain a hearing from the district

administrators and the board regarding a complaint that must:

(A) require the hearing to be held in person; and

(B) allow the complainant or the complainant's

representative to present oral argument at the hearing ;

(14) make decisions relating to terminating the

employment of district employees employed under a contract to which

Chapter 21 applies, including terminating or not renewing an

employment contract to which that chapter applies; and

(15) carry out other powers and duties as provided by

this code or other law.

SECTION 2. The board of trustees of an independent school

district shall adopt a process for obtaining a hearing in

accordance with Section 11.1511(b), Education Code, as amended by

this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this

Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.