Hinojosa Bill Counts Extracurriculars Toward 60% Instruction Floor

The text as introduced · 467 words

89R13571 KJE-D

By: Hinojosa of Nueces
S.B. No. 2507

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring that public schools spend a certain

percentage of funding for direct instructional activities,

including an indicator for that requirement under the public school

financial accountability system.

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

SECTION 1. Section 39.082(c), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(c) The system must [ may not ] include an indicator under

Subsection (b) [ or any other performance measure ] that[ :

[ (1) ] requires a school district to spend at least 60

[ 65 ] percent [ or any other specified percentage ] of district

operating funds for direct instructional activities as described by

Section 44.0071 [ purposes; or

[ (2) lowers the financial management performance

rating of a school district for failure to spend at least 65 percent

or any other specified percentage of district operating funds for

instructional purposes ].

SECTION 2. The heading to Section 44.0071, Education Code,

is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 44.0071. COMPUTATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL EXPENDITURES

RATIO AND INSTRUCTIONAL EMPLOYEES RATIO ; MINIMUM RATIO REQUIRED .

SECTION 3. Sections 44.0071(a) and (c), Education Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) Each fiscal year, a school district shall compute and

report to the commissioner:

(1) the percentage of the district's total

expenditures for the preceding fiscal year that were used to fund

direct instructional activities , which must be at least 60 percent ;

and

(2) the percentage of the district's full-time

equivalent employees during the preceding fiscal year whose job

function was to directly provide classroom instruction to students,

determined by dividing the number of hours spent by employees in

providing direct classroom instruction by the total number of hours

worked by all district employees.

(c) For purposes of this section, the computation of a

district's expenditures used to fund direct instructional

activities shall include :

(1) the salary, including any associated employment

taxes, and value of any benefits provided to any district employee

who directly provided classroom instruction to students, but only

in proportion to the percentage of time spent by the employee in

directly providing classroom instruction to students ;

(2) the cost for the purchase of instructional

materials and supplies;

(3) the cost of professional and technical services

and the renting of educational equipment; and

(4) expenses relating to extracurricular and

cocurricular activities .

SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 5. 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.