85R9709 PAM-D
	By: Lucio	S.B. No. 2112

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to creating a single countywide school district in certain
	counties.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 13, Education Code, is amended by adding
	Subchapter D-1 to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER D-1. COUNTY CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN
	CERTAIN COUNTIES
	Sec. 13.181.  APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only
	to a county that contains an international border and borders the
	Gulf of Mexico.
	Sec. 13.182.  DETACHMENT OF CERTAIN DISTRICT TERRITORY. (a)
	Except as provided by Subsection (b), effective July 1, 2018, the
	territory of a school district that is partly located in a county
	subject to this subchapter shall be detached from that district and
	that territory is annexed and consolidated into a countywide
	district as provided by Section 13.183.
	(b)  This section does not apply to territory of a school
	district that is partly located in a county subject to this
	subchapter if that territory overlaps one or more school districts
	wholly located in that county and provides only middle school,
	junior high school, and high school magnet programs, academies, or
	similar special programs in that territory.
	Sec. 13.183.  CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CERTAIN
	OTHER TERRITORY.  Effective July 1, 2018, each school district
	wholly located in a county subject to this subchapter and any
	detached territory to which Section 13.182 applies are consolidated
	into a single countywide school district.
	Sec. 13.184.  STATUS; TRANSITIONAL GOVERNANCE OF
	CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT. (a) The consolidated district is an
	independent school district.
	(b)  The board of trustees of the consolidating school
	district wholly located in the county that had the largest
	enrollment during the 2017-2018 school year serves as the board of
	trustees of the consolidated district until the next uniform
	election date, at which time the consolidated school district shall
	elect a board of trustees as provided by Section 13.185.
	Sec. 13.185.  BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL
	DISTRICT. (a) Notwithstanding Subchapter C, Chapter 11, the
	consolidated school district is governed by a board of trustees
	elected as follows:
	(1)  two trustees elected from each county
	commissioners precinct; and
	(2)  one trustee elected from the county at large.
	(b)  The trustees serve staggered terms of four years, with
	the terms of four or five of the trustees expiring every two years,
	as appropriate.
	(c)  At the first election at which the trustees are elected
	in the manner authorized by this section and after each
	redistricting, all positions on the board shall be filled. The
	trustees then elected shall draw lots to determine the four
	trustees who serve an initial term of two years.
	(d)  The trustee elected from the county at large serves as
	the presiding officer of the board of trustees.
	Sec. 13.186.  TITLE TO PROPERTY; ASSUMPTION OF DEBT. (a)
	Title to all property of the consolidating districts wholly located
	in the county vests in the consolidated district, and the
	consolidated district assumes and is liable for the outstanding
	indebtedness of those consolidating districts.
	(b)  Title to all real property of a district from which
	territory is detached under Section 13.182 vests in the
	consolidated district, and the consolidated district assumes and is
	liable for any portion of the indebtedness of the district from
	which the territory is detached that is allocated to the
	consolidated district as provided by Section 13.004.
	Sec. 13.187.  REPORT. (a) Not later than December 1 of each
	even-numbered year, the board of trustees of the consolidated
	school district shall prepare and deliver to the governor,
	lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and
	presiding officer of each standing legislative committee with
	primary jurisdiction over public education a report that:
	(1)  evaluates the operation of the consolidated school
	district to determine whether an increase in administrative
	efficiency or any cost savings have resulted from the countywide
	consolidation of school districts and any applicable detached
	territory; and
	(2)  makes recommendations for any additional
	legislative action to enhance the efficiency of the operation of
	the consolidated district.
	(b)  This section expires September 1, 2021.
	SECTION 2.  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, 2017.