Bill Text: TX HB3331 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the state virtual school network, including student eligibility, course provider eligibility, and funding for certain providers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-17 - Referred to Public Education [HB3331 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB3331-Introduced.html
2015S0407-1 03/05/15 | ||
By: Guillen | H.B. No. 3331 |
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relating to the state virtual school network, including student | ||
eligibility, course provider eligibility, and funding for certain | ||
providers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 26.0031(c), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
deny a request to enroll a student in an electronic course if: | ||
(1) a student attempts to enroll in a course load that | ||
is inconsistent with the student's high school graduation plan or | ||
requirements for college admission or earning an industry | ||
certification; or | ||
(2) the student requests permission to enroll in an | ||
electronic course at a time that is not consistent with the | ||
enrollment period established by the school district or | ||
open-enrollment charter school providing the course[ |
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SECTION 2. Sections 30A.002(a) and (c), Education Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) A student is eligible to enroll in one or more courses [ |
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(c) Notwithstanding Subsection [ |
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is eligible to enroll in one or more courses provided through the | ||
state virtual school network or enroll full-time in courses | ||
provided through the network if the student: | ||
(1) is a dependent of a member of the United States | ||
military; | ||
(2) was previously enrolled in public [ |
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this state; and | ||
(3) does not reside in this state due to a military | ||
deployment or transfer. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 30A.101, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read | ||
as follows: | ||
(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school is | ||
eligible to act as a course provider under this chapter only if the | ||
district or school is not rated unacceptable [ |
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Section 39.054. [ |
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(c) A nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation is | ||
eligible to act as a course provider under this chapter only if the | ||
nonprofit entity, private entity, or corporation: | ||
(1) complies with all applicable federal and state | ||
laws prohibiting discrimination; | ||
(2) demonstrates financial solvency; and | ||
(3) either: | ||
(A) provides evidence of prior successful | ||
experience offering online courses to middle or high school | ||
students, with demonstrated student success in course completion | ||
and performance, as determined by the commissioner; or | ||
(B) provides evidence that it is capable of | ||
carrying out the responsibilities of a course provider and is | ||
likely to provide high quality courses, as determined by the | ||
commissioner. | ||
(e) The commissioner shall ensure that a course provider | ||
does not continue to offer electronic courses through the state | ||
virtual school network if: | ||
(1) the course provider no longer satisfies | ||
eligibility requirements under Subsection (a) or (c); or | ||
(2) the course provider consistently produces poor | ||
student performance outcomes, as determined by the commissioner. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 30A.105(b), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(b) The administering authority shall establish the cost of | ||
providing each [ |
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(a)[ |
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SECTION 5. Sections 30A.153(a) and (b), Education Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) A [ |
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which a student is enrolled is entitled to funding under Chapter 42 | ||
or in accordance with the terms of a charter granted under Section | ||
12.101 for the student's enrollment in an electronic course offered | ||
through the state virtual school network in the same manner that the | ||
district or school is entitled to funding for the student's | ||
enrollment in courses provided in a traditional classroom setting, | ||
provided that the student successfully completes the electronic | ||
course. | ||
(b) The commissioner, after considering comments from | ||
school district and open-enrollment charter school | ||
representatives, shall adopt a standard agreement that governs the | ||
costs, payment of funds, and other matters relating to a student's | ||
enrollment in an electronic course offered through the state | ||
virtual school network. The agreement may not require a school | ||
district or open-enrollment charter school to pay the provider the | ||
full amount until the student has successfully completed the | ||
electronic course[ |
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SECTION 6. Sections 30A.155(a) and (c), Education Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
charge a fee for enrollment in an electronic course provided | ||
through the state virtual school network to a student who resides in | ||
this state and[ |
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open-enrollment charter school as a full-time student with a course | ||
load greater than that normally taken by students in the equivalent | ||
grade level in other school districts or open-enrollment charter | ||
schools[ |
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(c) The amount of a fee charged a student under Subsection | ||
(a), (a-1), or (b) for each electronic course in which the student | ||
enrolls through the state virtual school network may not exceed | ||
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by the administering authority under Section 30A.105[ |
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SECTION 7. The following sections of the Education Code are | ||
repealed: | ||
(1) Section 26.0031(c-1); and | ||
(2) Section 30A.153(a-1). | ||
SECTION 8. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 | ||
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, 2015. |