Middleton’s bill rewrites parts of charter school law

The text as introduced · 1,360 words

By: Middleton
S.B. No. 1127

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to charter schools, including the admission, enrollment,

and employment policies of and the applicability of certain laws to

open-enrollment charter schools.

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

SECTION 1. Section 12.002, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 12.002. CLASSES OF CHARTER. The classes of charter

under this chapter are:

(1) a home-rule school district charter as provided by

Subchapter B;

(2) a campus or campus program charter as provided by

Subchapter C; [ or ]

(3) an open-enrollment charter as provided by

Subchapter D ;

(4) a college or university or junior college charter

as provided by Subchapter E; or

(5) an adult education program charter as provided by

Subchapter G .

SECTION 2. Section 12.1058(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) An open-enrollment charter school is considered to be:

(1) a local government for purposes of Chapter 791,

Government Code;

(2) a local government for purposes of Chapter 2259,

Government Code, except that an open-enrollment charter school may

not issue public securities as provided by Section 2259.031(b),

Government Code;

(3) a political subdivision for purposes of Chapter

172, Local Government Code;

(4) a local governmental entity for purposes of

Subchapter I, Chapter 271, Local Government Code;

(5) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

180.008, Local Government Code;

(6) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

16.061, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, with respect to any

property purchased, leased, constructed, renovated, or improved

with state funds under Section 12.128 of this code; [ and ]

(7) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

11.11, Tax Code ;

(8) a public school district customer for purposes of

Section 182.022(d), Tax Code;

(9) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

304.001, Local Government Code; and

(10) a local authority for purposes of Subtitle C,

Title 7, Transportation Code, only when the school is designating

school crossing guards for campuses of the school .

SECTION 3. Section 12.111(a), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) Each charter granted under this subchapter must:

(1) describe the educational program to be offered,

which must include the required curriculum as provided by Section

28.002;

(2) provide that continuation of the charter is

contingent on the status of the charter as determined under Section

12.1141 or 12.115 or under Chapter 39A;

(3) specify the academic, operational, and financial

performance expectations by which a school operating under the

charter will be evaluated, which must include applicable elements

of the performance frameworks adopted under Section 12.1181;

(4) specify:

(A) any basis, in addition to a basis specified

by this subchapter or Chapter 39A, on which the charter may be

revoked, renewal of the charter may be denied, or the charter may be

allowed to expire; and

(B) the standards for evaluation of a school

operating under the charter for purposes of charter renewal, denial

of renewal, expiration, revocation, or other intervention in

accordance with Section 12.1141 or 12.115 or Chapter 39A, as

applicable;

(5) prohibit discrimination in admission policy on the

basis of sex, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability,

academic, artistic, or athletic ability, or the district the child

would otherwise attend in accordance with this code, although the

charter may:

(A) provide for the exclusion of a student who

has a documented history of a criminal offense, a juvenile court

adjudication, or discipline problems under Subchapter A, Chapter

37; [ and ]

(B) provide for an admission policy that requires

a student to demonstrate artistic ability if the school specializes

in performing arts; and

(C) provide for an admission policy that limits

admission to students of a single biological sex as correctly

stated on the student's official birth certificate, as described by

Section 33.0834(c), or, if the student's official birth certificate

is unobtainable, another governmental record;

(6) specify the grade levels to be offered;

(7) describe the governing structure of the program,

including:

(A) the officer positions designated;

(B) the manner in which officers are selected and

removed from office;

(C) the manner in which members of the governing

body of the school are selected and removed from office;

(D) the manner in which vacancies on that

governing body are filled;

(E) the term for which members of that governing

body serve; and

(F) whether the terms are to be staggered;

(8) specify the powers or duties of the governing body

of the school that the governing body may delegate to an officer;

(9) specify the manner in which the school will

distribute to parents information related to the qualifications of

each professional employee of the program, including any

professional or educational degree held by each employee, a

statement of any certification under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, held

by each employee, and any relevant experience of each employee;

(10) describe the process by which the person

providing the program will adopt an annual budget;

(11) describe the manner in which an annual audit of

the financial and programmatic operations of the program is to be

conducted, including the manner in which the person providing the

program will provide information necessary for the school district

in which the program is located to participate, as required by this

code or by commissioner rule, in the Public Education Information

Management System (PEIMS);

(12) describe the facilities to be used;

(13) describe the geographical area served by the

program;

(14) specify any type of enrollment criteria to be

used;

(15) provide information, as determined by the

commissioner, relating to any management company that will provide

management services to a school operating under the charter; and

(16) specify that the governing body of an

open-enrollment charter school accepts and may not delegate

ultimate responsibility for the school, including the school's

academic performance and financial and operational viability, and

is responsible for overseeing any management company providing

management services for the school and for holding the management

company accountable for the school's performance.

SECTION 4. The heading to Section 12.117, Education Code,

is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 12.117. ADMISSION AND ENROLLMENT .

SECTION 5. Section 12.117, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a) to read as follows:

(a) For admission and enrollment to an open-enrollment

charter school, the governing body of the school shall:

(1) require the applicant to complete and submit the

common admission application form described by Section 12.1173 not

later than a reasonable deadline the school establishes; and

(2) on receipt of more acceptable applications for

admission under this section than available positions in a grade

level or campus [ the school ]:

(A) fill the available positions by lottery; or

(B) subject to Subsection (b), fill the available

positions in the order in which applications received before the

application deadline were received.

SECTION 6. Section 12.119, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:

(b-1) For purposes of Subsection (b), an officer or member

of the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school does not

include an assistant principal or assistant director.

SECTION 7. Section 12.129, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as

follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsections [ Subsection ] (b) and

(c) , a person employed as a principal or a teacher by an

open-enrollment charter school must hold a baccalaureate degree.

(c) A person may be employed as a teacher for a noncore

academic career and technical education course without holding a

baccalaureate degree if:

(1) the person meets the qualifications under Section

21.055(d-1); and

(2) the governing body and the chief executive officer

and educational leader of the open-enrollment charter school comply

with the requirements of Section 21.055(d-1) in the same manner as a

school district board of trustees and superintendent.

SECTION 8. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 9. 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, 2025.