Bettencourt Bill Redraws One School Board In A 3.3M County

The text as introduced · 1,369 words

2025S0229-1 03/12/25

By: Bettencourt
S.B. No. 2822

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the election of the board of trustees of certain school

districts and the powers and duties of the board of trustees of

school districts.

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

SECTION 1. Section 11.052, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (b-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as

follows:

(b-1) Subsections (a) and (c) do not apply in the case of an

order adopted under this subsection. The board of trustees of an

independent school district with the largest student enrollment in

a county with a population of 3.3 million or more shall order that

trustees of the district are to be elected as follows:

(1) four trustees elected from the district at large;

and

(2) five trustees elected from single-member trustee

districts.

(d) An order of the board adopted under Subsection (a) , [ or ]

(b) , or (b-1) must be entered not later than the 120th day before

the date of the first election at which all or some of the trustees

are elected from single-member trustee districts authorized by the

order.

SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 11.0582 to read as follows:

Sec. 11.0582. RESIGNATION FOR CANDIDACY OF ANOTHER

OFFICE. (a) The board of trustees of an independent school

district may by a two-thirds vote adopt a resolution requiring a

member of the board of trustees to resign from the board before

running for another elected office. The board of trustees shall

adopt procedures for implementing this section.

(b) A board of trustees that adopts a requirement under this

section may by a two-thirds vote eliminate the requirement.

SECTION 3. Section 11.162(c), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(c) A parent or guardian of a student assigned to attend a

school at which students are required to wear school uniforms may

choose for the student to be exempted from the requirement or to

transfer to a school at which students are not required to wear

uniforms and at which space is available if the parent or guardian

provides a written statement that, as determined by the board of

trustees or the board's designee , states a bona fide religious or

philosophical objection to the requirement.

SECTION 4. Section 28.0214, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 28.0214. FINALITY OF GRADE. (a) An examination or

course grade issued by a classroom teacher is final and may not be

changed unless the grade is arbitrary, erroneous, or not consistent

with the school district grading policy applicable to the grade, as

determined by the board of trustees or the board's designee of the

school district in which the teacher is employed.

(b) A determination by a school district board of trustees

or the board's designee under Subsection (a) is not subject to

appeal. This subsection does not prohibit an appeal related to a

student's eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities

under Section 33.081.

SECTION 5. Sections 28.023(a), (b), (c), (c-1), (d), and

(h), Education Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) Using guidelines established by the State Board of

Education, a school district shall develop or select for review by

the district board of trustees or the board's designee examinations

for acceleration for each primary school grade level and for credit

for secondary school academic subjects. The guidelines must

provide for the examinations to thoroughly test comprehension of

the information presented in the applicable grade level or

subject. The board of trustees or the board's designee shall

approve for each subject, to the extent available, at least four

examinations that satisfy State Board of Education

guidelines. The examinations approved by the board of trustees or

the board's designee must include:

(1) advanced placement examinations developed by the

College Board; and

(2) examinations administered through the

College-Level Examination Program.

(b) A school district shall give a student in a primary

grade level credit for a grade level and advance the student one

grade level on the basis of an examination for acceleration

approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under

Subsection (a) if:

(1) the student scores in the 80th percentile or above

on each section of the examination;

(2) a district representative recommends that the

student be advanced; and

(3) the student's parent or guardian gives written

approval of the advancement.

(c) A school district shall give a student in grade level

six or above credit for a subject on the basis of an examination for

credit in the subject approved by the board of trustees or the

board's designee under Subsection (a) if the student scores in the

80th percentile or above on the examination or if the student

achieves a score as provided by Subsection (c-1). If a student is

given credit in a subject on the basis of an examination, the

district shall enter the examination score on the student's

transcript and the student is not required to take an end-of-course

assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) for that

subject.

(c-1) A school district shall give a student in grade level

six or above credit for a subject if the student scores:

(1) a three or higher on an advanced placement

examination approved by the board of trustees or the board's

designee under Subsection (a) and developed by the College Board;

or

(2) a scaled score of 50 or higher on an examination

approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under

Subsection (a) and administered through the College-Level

Examination Program.

(d) Each district shall administer each examination

approved by the board of trustees or the board's designee under

Subsection (a) not fewer than four times each year, at times to be

determined by the State Board of Education.

(h) This subsection applies only to a school district

surrounded by a school district described by Section

11.065(a). Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a

school district's board of trustees or the board's designee may

establish a minimum required score for each section of an

examination for acceleration or an examination for credit approved

by the board or the board's designee under Subsection (a) that is

higher than the minimum required scores under Subsections (b) and

(c), respectively. A minimum required score established by a board

of trustees or the board's designee under this subsection:

(1) may be no greater than a score in the 90th

percentile;

(2) must be established before the beginning of a

school year for examinations to be administered in the school year;

and

(3) must apply for at least the entire school year.

SECTION 6. Sections 29.089(c) and (d), Education Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(c) The [ board of trustees of the ] district shall obtain the

consent of a student's parent or guardian before allowing the

student to participate in the program.

(d) The [ board of trustees of the ] district may arrange for

any public or nonprofit community-based organization to come to the

district's schools and implement the program.

SECTION 7. Section 29.183, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 29.183. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL

PROGRAMS. (a) A [ The board of trustees of a ] school district may

conduct and supervise career and technology classes and other

educational programs for students and for other persons of all ages

and spend local maintenance funds for the cost of those classes and

programs.

(b) In developing a career and technology program, the

district [ board of trustees ] shall consider the state plan for

career and technology education required under Section 29.182.

SECTION 8. Section 54.363(f), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(f) The board of trustees or the board's designee of a

school district shall establish a plan to encourage the hiring of

educational aides who show a willingness to become certified

teachers.

SECTION 9. The board of trustees of a school district to

which Section 11.052(b-1), Education Code, as added by this Act,

applies shall adopt an order as required by that subsection not

later than December 31, 2025.

SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.