HBA-MSH H.B. 889 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 889
By: Gallego
Public Education
3/5/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), 304 school districts
experienced declines of two percent or more in attendance between 1998 and
2000.  School districts are required to contract with teachers 45 days
before the end of the spring semester for the following academic year.
Some superintendents feel that substantial reduction in attendance may
leave schools overstaffed and underfunded, since funds are allocated based
on computations of the average daily attendance (ADA) for each district.
House Bill 889 funds schools that experience a decline in attendance of two
percent or more according to an ADA equal to 98 percent of the actual ADA
of the preceding school year. 

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 889 amends the Education Code to require that a school district
that experiences a decline of two percent or more in average daily
attendance (ADA) be funded through the Foundation School Program on the
basis of an ADA equal to 98 percent of the actual ADA of the preceding
school year, if the decline is not the result of the closing or reduction
in personnel of a military base. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.