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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to authorization to operate school districts on the basis |
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of a four-day instructional week. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.081, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) Except as authorized under [Subsection (b) of] this |
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section, Section 25.084, or Section 29.0821, for each school year |
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each school district must operate so that the district provides for |
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at least 180 days of instruction for students. |
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(c) In accordance with this subsection, a school district |
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may operate so that during the school year the district provides |
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four days of instruction for students per week. A district that |
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operates under this subsection may choose to forgo providing |
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regular instruction for students during the school year from Friday |
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through Sunday or from Saturday through Monday. Notwithstanding |
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Section 25.082, the district shall extend the school day at each |
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district school so that the average length of a school day is at |
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least 8.5 hours. The amount of state funding to which a district is |
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entitled is not affected by the district's operation in accordance |
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with this subsection. The district shall, in the time and manner |
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required by commissioner rule, notify the commissioner of the |
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district's intention to operate in accordance with this subsection. |
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The commissioner shall adopt any other rules necessary for the |
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administration of this subsection. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.401(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) The commissioner, as provided by Section 25.081(b), may |
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reduce the number of days of service required by this section. The |
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commissioner shall reduce the number of days of service required by |
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this section for an educator employed by a school district |
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operating in accordance with Section 25.081(c) so that the number |
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of days of service required is in proportion to the number of days |
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of instruction provided by the district for the school year. A |
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reduction by the commissioner under this subsection does not reduce |
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an educator's salary. |
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SECTION 3. Section 42.005(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) In this chapter, average daily attendance is: |
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(1) the quotient of the sum of attendance for each day |
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of the minimum number of days of instruction as described under |
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Section 25.081(a) divided by the minimum number of days of |
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instruction; |
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(2) for a district that operates under a flexible year |
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program under Section 29.0821, the quotient of the sum of |
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attendance for each actual day of instruction as permitted by |
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Section 29.0821(b)(1) divided by the number of actual days of |
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instruction as permitted by Section 29.0821(b)(1); [or] |
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(3) for a district that operates under a flexible |
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school day program under Section 29.0822, the average daily |
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attendance as calculated by the commissioner in accordance with |
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Section 29.0822(d); or |
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(4) for a district that operates on the basis of a |
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reduced number of days of instruction and a longer school day under |
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Section 25.081(c), the quotient of the sum of attendance for each |
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day of instruction provided under Section 25.081(c) divided by the |
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number of days of instruction provided under Section 25.081(c). |
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SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |