HBA-NRS H.B. 3313 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3313
By: Dunnam
Public Education
7/9/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

State law authorizes the commissioner of education (commissioner) to except
a school district from a class size limit if the commissioner finds the
limit creates an undue hardship on the district. Waiver exceptions may be
granted for hardships such as teacher shortages, facilities shortages, or
unanticipated enrollment growth. School districts who ask for waivers must
submit a compliance plan that states how the districts will meet class size
requirements. House Bill 3313 requires a campus or district that is granted
an exception from the 22 student per class limit by the commissioner to
provide written notice of the exception to the parent of or a person
standing in parental relation to each student. 

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 3313 amends the Education Code to require a campus or district
that is granted an exception from the 22 student per class limit by the
commissioner of education (commissioner) to provide written notice of the
exception to the parent of or a person standing in parental relation to
each student affected by the exception not later than the 31st day after
the first day of the school year or after the date the exception is
granted, if the exception is granted after the beginning of the school
year. The bill requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to include in the
regional and district level report  the number of campuses and classes at
each campus, rather than the number of districts, granted class size
exceptions, the performance rating of each campus granted an exception to
class size. The bill also requires TEA to include in the report the number
of classes at each campus that are currently being taught by individuals
who are not certified in the content areas of their respective classes. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

June 14, 2001, and applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year.