Bill Text: TX HB313 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to employment of certified school counselors by school districts.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-11 - Referred to Public Education [HB313 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB313-Introduced.html
84R2042 KKA-D | ||
By: González | H.B. No. 313 |
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relating to employment of certified school counselors by school | ||
districts. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 33.002, Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 33.002. CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR. (a) From funds | ||
appropriated for the purpose or other funds that may be used for the | ||
purpose, the commissioner shall distribute funds for programs under | ||
this subchapter. In distributing those funds, the commissioner | ||
shall give preference to a school district that received funds | ||
under this subsection for the preceding school year and then to the | ||
districts that have the highest concentration of students at risk | ||
of dropping out of school, as described by Section 29.081. To | ||
receive funds for the program, a school district must apply to the | ||
commissioner. For each school year that a school district receives | ||
funds under this subsection, the district shall allocate an amount | ||
of local funds for school guidance and counseling programs that is | ||
equal to or greater than the amount of local funds that the school | ||
district allocated for that purpose during the preceding school | ||
year. Subsections (b), (b-1), and (c) apply [ |
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only to a school district that receives funds as provided by this | ||
subsection. Funds distributed under this subsection are in | ||
addition to any other funds available for programs under this | ||
subchapter, including funds provided under Section 42.2519. | ||
(b) A school district [ |
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under the rules of the State Board for Educator Certification for | ||
each: | ||
(1) elementary school in the district, if the district | ||
has 350 or more students enrolled in elementary school grades; | ||
(2) middle school in the district, if the district has | ||
350 or more students enrolled in middle school grades; and | ||
(3) junior high school in the district, if the | ||
district has 350 or more students enrolled in junior high school | ||
grades. | ||
(b-1) A school district shall employ at least one school | ||
counselor for every 350 [ |
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junior high school students in the district and one additional | ||
half-time school counselor if the district has an additional 175 | ||
students at the applicable grade levels. | ||
(c) A school district with fewer than the number of [ |
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students specified by Subsection (b) [ |
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elementary school, middle school, or junior high school students | ||
by[ |
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counselor certified under the rules of the State Board for Educator | ||
Certification[ |
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(d) A school district with 250 or more students enrolled in | ||
high school grades shall employ a school counselor certified under | ||
the rules of the State Board for Educator Certification for each | ||
high school in the district. A school district shall employ at | ||
least one school counselor for every 250 high school students in the | ||
district and one additional half-time school counselor if the | ||
district has an additional 125 high school students. | ||
(e) A school district with fewer than 250 students enrolled | ||
in high school grades shall provide guidance and counseling | ||
services to high school students by employing a half-time school | ||
counselor certified under the rules of the State Board for Educator | ||
Certification. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 42.2519 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 42.2519. ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR CERTIFIED SCHOOL | ||
COUNSELORS. (a) For each school year, from funds that may be used | ||
for the purpose, a school district is entitled to state aid in an | ||
amount, as determined by the commissioner, sufficient to assist the | ||
district in employing the number of certified school counselors at | ||
the high school level as required by Sections 33.002(d) and (e). | ||
(b) The amount of state aid to which a school district is | ||
entitled under this section is in addition to the amount of revenue | ||
to which the district is entitled under Section 42.2516(b). This | ||
subsection expires September 1, 2017. | ||
(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to | ||
administer this section. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |