TITLE: Relating to notifying parents of changes to school district policy.

SUMMARY: Relating to notifying parents of changes to school district policy.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to notifying parents of changes to school district policy. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is amended by adding Sections 11.1514 and 11.1515 to read as follows: Sec. 11.1514. ACCESS TO SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICIES. A school district shall place a copy of each district policy adopted by the board of trustees for the current school year, including a copy of the student handbook, on file and available for public inspection during regular business hours at: (1) the central administration building of the district; and (2) each public library in the district. Sec. 11.1515. NOTIFICATION BY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF CHANGES IN POLICY. (a) A school district shall notify the parent of or other person standing in parental relation to each student enrolled in the district of a change to a district policy adopted by the board of trustees. For purposes of this section, any alteration to the wording of a district policy is a change to policy requiring notification. (b) A school district shall provide the notice required by Subsection (a) by: (1) publishing the information on the district's Internet website, if the district maintains a website; and (2) placing a copy of the notice on file and available for public inspection during regular business hours at: (A) the central administration building of the district; and (B) each public library in the district. (c) The notice required by this section must: (1) identify the district policy amended, including the name and location of the policy; (2) state the purpose of the change to district policy; (3) describe the change to district policy in plain, nontechnical language; (4) show the language of the old policy and the new policy by underlining new language and bracketing and striking through deleted language; and (5) include the date the change to district policy was adopted. (d) The district shall provide the notice required by this section not later than the 30th day after the date of the meeting at which the change to district policy is adopted. The notice must remain available as required by Subsection (b) until the start of the next school year. SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. SECTION 3. 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.