84R8182 PAM/JRJ-F
	By: Anchia	H.B. No. 2579

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the governance and operation of certain independent
	school districts.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 11.0511 to read as follows:
	Sec. 11.0511.  STUDENT TRUSTEE FOR CERTAIN DISTRICTS. (a)
	This section applies only to a school district described by Section
	11.065(a).
	(b)  Notwithstanding Section 11.051(b), the board of
	trustees of a school district shall, on its own motion, order an
	election to submit to the qualified voters of the district the
	proposition to establish as a nonvoting member a student trustee
	position. If a majority of the voters voting in the election
	approve the establishment of the student trustee position, the
	board shall adopt a resolution establishing as a nonvoting member a
	student trustee position as provided by this section.
	(c)  A student trustee serves a term of one year. The
	resolution shall establish the selection procedure for the student
	trustee position, including the method for filling a vacancy.
	(d)  A student is eligible to serve as a student trustee if
	the student is enrolled in the student's junior or senior year of
	high school and is considered in good standing academically and
	under the district code of conduct.
	(e)  To the extent permitted under the Family Educational
	Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g), a student
	trustee may participate, other than voting, in all deliberations of
	the board and has a right of access to information, documents, and
	records in the same manner as a voting member of the board.
	(f)  A school district may grant to a student who fulfills
	the requirements of service of a student trustee not more than one
	academic course credit in a subject area determined appropriate by
	the district.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 11.0525 to read as follows:
	Sec. 11.0525.  REDISTRICTING COMMISSION. (a)  This section
	applies only to a school district that:
	(1)  has nine single-member districts;
	(2)  has a central administrative office located in a
	county with a population of more than two million; and
	(3)  has a student enrollment of more than 125,000 and
	less than 200,000.
	(b)  The board of trustees of a school district to which this
	section applies shall, on its own motion, order an election to
	submit to the qualified voters of the district the proposition to
	establish a redistricting commission for the purpose of
	establishing board of trustee districts.  The election shall be
	held at the same time and in the same manner as an election held to
	elect candidates to the board. If the establishment of a
	redistricting commission is approved by a majority of the voters
	voting in an election held by the board for that purpose, then not
	later than January 31 of the year following the federal decennial
	census, each member of the board of trustees of the school district
	shall appoint one member to the redistricting commission.
	(c)  In making an appointment under this section, the board
	of trustees shall, as nearly as may be practicable, provide fair and
	balanced representation of all geographical areas of the school
	district in the redistricting process and provide a total
	membership that reflects the racial and ethnic makeup of the school
	district's population.  Members of the redistricting commission
	shall be appointed to serve a term that will end on completion of
	the redistricting commission's work.
	(d)  Administrative staff of the school district shall
	initiate and widely publicize a 60-day application process for the
	redistricting commission, open to all registered voters residing in
	the district, with outreach to diverse communities to encourage
	participation.  All applications to serve on the redistricting
	commission must be submitted in writing or electronically.
	(e)  The board president shall designate the chair of the
	redistricting commission, subject to confirmation by a majority of
	the board of trustees.
	(f)  To qualify for appointment to the redistricting
	commission, a person must:
	(1)  be registered to vote and have voted in two of the
	last three school district elections for the board of trustees;
	(2)  have been a resident of the school district for at
	least six months before the date of application; and
	(3)  have a capacity to serve with impartiality, the
	ability to work collaboratively, an understanding of the underlying
	legal principles of redistricting, a knowledge and appreciation of
	the diverse racial and ethnic demographics in the school district,
	and a will to serve the greater good.
	(g)  A member of the redistricting commission is not eligible
	to be a candidate for a place on the board of trustees in the next
	succeeding board election and may not be appointed or elected to the
	board or a commission of the school district for a period of one
	year after the date the member's service on the redistricting
	commission ends.
	(h)  The following persons are not eligible to serve on the
	redistricting commission:
	(1)  a member of the board of trustees or the spouse of
	a member of the board or any family member within the third degree
	of consanguinity or affinity, as determined under Chapter 573,
	Government Code;
	(2)  a person or the spouse of a person who has been
	appointed to or elected to any elective federal, state, county, or
	municipal office during the three years before the application
	date;
	(3)  the campaign manager, treasurer, or staff member
	of any candidate for federal, state, county, or municipal office
	during the five years before the application date;
	(4)  a registered lobbyist or the spouse of a lobbyist
	required to register with a municipal, county, state, or federal
	government;
	(5)  a person or the spouse of a person who has a
	contractual relationship with the school district, works for the
	district, works for or with or has a contractual relationship with
	any member of the board or the spouse, child, or parent of a member
	of the board; or
	(6)  a person who the board determines is otherwise
	ineligible to serve on the commission.
	(i)  By April 1 of the year of the federal decennial census,
	the administrative office servicing the board of trustees shall
	review each application for completeness and shall forward the
	complete applications to the internal auditor's office for
	independent verification to determine compliance with the
	qualifications and to eliminate applicants who do not qualify.  By
	June 1 of that year, the internal auditor's office shall forward a
	list of all qualified applicants to the board. The list must
	indicate the trustee district in which each applicant lives.
	(j)  The redistricting commission shall draw the board of
	trustee districts in compliance with the requirements of federal or
	state law and in compliance with the following guidelines:
	(1)  the districts shall be substantially equal in
	population according to the total population count as presented in
	the census data, except where deviation is required to comply with
	federal law or is otherwise allowable by law;
	(2)  in addition to the requirements of federal law,
	there shall be no discrimination on the basis of race, color, or
	membership in a language minority group, and the voting strength of
	racial, ethnic, and language minorities in the districts shall not
	be diluted to deprive minority voters of an equal opportunity to
	elect a candidate of their choice;
	(3)  the districts must be geographically compact, to
	the extent possible, and composed of contiguous territory;
	(4)  the reconfiguration of districts must be neutral
	as to incumbents or potential candidates;
	(5)  to the extent possible, the districts must not
	split defined school feeder patterns; and
	(6)  when possible without violating other
	requirements, communities of interest must be placed in a single
	district and neighborhoods may not be split.
	(k)  A member of the board of trustees may not have contact,
	directly or indirectly, with a redistricting commission member or
	with redistricting commission staff, with respect to
	redistricting, except by testimony in a public hearing.
	Redistricting commission members may not engage in any discussions,
	directly or indirectly, regarding redistricting or the work of the
	redistricting commission with members of the board, except during a
	public hearing or by written communication given to the entire
	commission.  If a redistricting commission member engages in a
	prohibited discussion or violates state law regarding public
	meetings, the commission may, by majority vote, remove the member
	from the commission.
	(l)  Before the redistricting commission begins work, the
	school district must provide commission members training from
	knowledgeable and professional trainers on school district
	demographics, the legal principles of redistricting, including the
	Voting Rights Act (52 U.S.C. Section 10101 et seq.), and the process
	for performing redistricting, including the use of computer
	software to draw district lines.
	(m)  On request, the school district shall provide support
	staff, equipment, and other resources as necessary for the
	redistricting commission to perform its duties.
	(n)  The redistricting commission shall solicit broad public
	participation in the redistricting process. The hearing process
	must include hearings to receive public input before the
	redistricting commission draws any maps and hearings following the
	drawing and display of any redistricting commission maps.  The
	redistricting commission shall display the proposed maps for public
	comment in a manner designed to achieve the widest public access
	reasonably possible and for a reasonable time before approval by
	the redistricting commission.  In addition, the redistricting
	commission shall make available a report that identifies for each
	district the district boundaries, population, racial and ethnic
	composition, and compactness measures.
	(o)  The redistricting commission shall file its recommended
	plan with the board president.  The president shall present the
	recommended plan to the board of trustees at its next meeting.  The
	board may adopt the plan as submitted or may modify and adopt the
	plan, but must adopt a plan not later than the 45th day after the
	date the board president received the plan. If the board modifies
	the plan, it must do so in open session at a board meeting with a
	written explanation of the need for the modification, and a copy of
	the proposed plan with the modification must be made available to
	the public 72 hours before a vote. A proposed plan must be approved
	by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the board.  If no action is
	taken by the board in the required period of time, the recommended
	plan of the redistricting commission becomes the final plan for the
	school district.
	(p)  The plan developed in accordance with this section shall
	be implemented at the next general election of the board of trustees
	conducted at least 90 days following the date the final plan becomes
	effective for the school district.
	SECTION 3.  Section 11.061, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
	(e)  This subsection applies only to a school district
	described by Section 11.065(a). Notwithstanding Subsection (d),
	the board of trustees of a school district shall, on its own motion,
	order an election to submit to the qualified voters of the district
	the proposition to provide for trustee compensation equal to the
	average salary of teachers in the district who hold a bachelor's
	degree. If a majority of the voters voting in the election approve
	the trustee compensation, a trustee is entitled to compensation as
	provided by this subsection.
	SECTION 4.  Section 11.065(d), Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(d)  Notwithstanding Chapter 171, Acts of the 50th
	Legislature, Regular Session, 1947 (Article 2783d, Vernon's Texas
	Civil Statutes), to the extent consistent with this section and
	Section 11.066, the board of trustees of a school district
	described by Subsection (a) may adopt rules necessary to govern the
	term, election, and residency requirements of members of the board
	that may be adopted under general law by any other school district.
	SECTION 5.  Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 11.066 to read as follows:
	Sec. 11.066.  TERMS AND ELECTION DATE FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL
	DISTRICTS. (a) This section applies only to a school district
	described by Section 11.065(a).
	(b)  The board of trustees of a school district shall, on its
	own motion, order an election to submit to the qualified voters of
	the district the proposition to change the terms of office of
	trustees from three years to four years. If a majority of the
	voters voting in the election approve four-year terms, the board
	shall adopt a resolution changing the terms of trustees to
	four-year terms. The resolution must provide for staggered terms
	and specify the manner in which the transition from the length of
	three-year terms to four-year terms is made.
	(c)  The board of trustees of a school district shall, on its
	own motion, order an election to submit to the qualified voters of
	the district the proposition to change the date on which the
	district holds its general election for trustees to the November
	uniform election date. If a majority of the voters voting in the
	election approve the change, the board shall adopt a resolution
	changing the date on which the district holds its general election
	for trustees to the November uniform election date. The resolution
	must provide for adjusting the terms of office to conform to the new
	election date.
	SECTION 6.  Section 21.212, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
	(a-1)  This subsection applies only to a school district
	described by Section 11.065(a). Notwithstanding Subsection (a),
	the board of trustees of a school district shall, on its own motion,
	order an election to submit to the qualified voters of the district
	the proposition to change the board vote requirement by which a
	superintendent may be considered for nonrenewal to a two-thirds
	vote of the trustees. If a majority of the voters voting in the
	election approve the change, the board shall adopt a resolution
	changing the vote requirement to a two-thirds vote. The resolution
	must provide that the change in the vote requirement applies only to
	a superintendent contract entered into on or after the effective
	date of the resolution.
	SECTION 7.  Section 25.0811, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
	(c)  This subsection applies only to a school district
	described by Section 11.065(a). Notwithstanding Subsection (a),
	the board of trustees of a school district shall, on its own motion,
	order an election to submit to the qualified voters of the district
	the proposition to begin instruction for students for a school year
	before the fourth Monday in August. If a majority of the voters
	voting in the election approve the change, the board shall adopt a
	resolution that sets a date on which instruction for students
	begins for a school year that occurs before the fourth Monday in
	August.
	SECTION 8.  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.