Bill Caption

Relating to authorizing a dropout recovery competency-based educational program provided through a campus or campus program charter or open-enrollment charter school.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB 3683, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($7,384,023) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021. 

Bill Analysis

HB 3683 would authorize the commissioner of education, for the purpose of offering a dropout recovery competency-based educational pilot program, to grant a charter to an eligible entity for an open-enrollment charter school to provide the program, authorize a charter school that has been granted a charter to provide the program, or authorize a campus that has been granted a charter to provide the program. The program would serve students in grades 9 through 12, have an enrollment of which at least half of the students are age 17 or older, and meet eligibility requirements for alternative education accountability procedures. A student would be eligible to enroll if the student is at least 14 years old, and under 26 years old. A student who successfully completes the program would earn a high school diploma. 

This bill would entitle any entity authorized to operate the program to full state funding for a charter school under the foundation school program provided that the commissioner is required to determine a method to calculate average daily attendance based on a student's successful completion of a number of courses, and a student's hours of contact time with the school. These bill's provisions would expire on December 1, 2021.

Vote Recommendation Notes

While this appears to be sound public policy, Texas Action remains neutral on HB 3683 because it does not appear to affect our liberty principles.