House Bill 1842 amends the Education Code relating to public school accountability. The bill replaces the requirement that the commissioner of education order the reconstitution of a public school campus after the campus has been identified as unacceptable for two consecutive school years with a requirement that the commissioner in such a circumstance order the campus to prepare and submit a campus turnaround plan that, among other elements, details the method for restructuring, reforming, or reconstituting the campus. A campus turnaround plan takes effect not later than the school year following the third consecutive school year that the campus has received an academically unacceptable performance rating. If the plan is implemented and is not successful in returning the campus to acceptable status within two years, the commissioner must either close the campus, order alternative management, or appoint a board of managers to intervene at the district level. The bill requires an open-enrollment charter school subject to a campus turnaround plan to revise its charter in accordance with applicable law in the plan and provides for the gradual phase-in of its changes concerning campus interventions and sanctions.

House Bill 1842 expands and revises the law concerning an appointed board of managers and sets out provisions governing the appointment and compensation of a board of managers and a superintendent for an open-enrollment charter school. The bill grants a member of a board of managers immunity from civil liability to the same extent as a professional employee of a school district. The bill provides for the establishment of a student trustee in certain school districts in which a district school is operating under a campus turnaround plan.

House Bill 1842 authorizes an eligible school district to be designated as a district of innovation following adoption of a local innovation plan that exempts the district from certain state requirements that inhibit the goals of the plan. The bill also replaces Texas Education Agency (TEA) on-site investigations with monitoring reviews, which may be converted to special accreditation investigations by the commissioner provided the district is notified.

House Bill 1842	House Author: Aycock et al.
Effective: 6-19-15	Senate Sponsor: Taylor, Larry et al.