HBA-MPM H.B. 328 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 328
By: Gallego
Public Education
7/10/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 77th Legislature, the board of trustees (board) of an
independent school district (district), on its own motion, could order
trustees of the district to be elected from single-member trustee districts
or that no fewer than 70 percent of the trustees be elected from
single-member trustee districts, with the remainder elected from the
district at large.  Some smaller districts had difficulty finding
individuals to fill seats in single member districts.  House Bill 328
authorizes a board, if a majority of the district is located in a county
with a population of less than 10,000, to order that no fewer than 50
percent of its trustees be elected from single member trustee districts,
with the remainder of the trustees elected at large. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 328 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of trustees
of an independent school district (district) located in a county with less
than 10,000 people to order that trustees of the district be elected from
single-member trustee districts or that not fewer than 50 percent of the
board members be elected from single-member trustee districts, with the
remaining trustees to be elected from the district at large.  The bill
authorizes the board of trustees (board) of a district that adopts a
redistricting plan to provide for the trustees in office when the plan is
adopted or the district is redistricted to serve the remainder of their
terms.  The bill requires the board to determine the order in which
positions may be filled after each redistricting.  The bill specifies that
individuals on boards of three, five, or seven trustees as established by
the State Board of Education for a special-purpose school district are not
required to be residents of that district. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.