The Senate Committee on Education K-16 announced a hearing for 8 a.m., Tuesday, March 11, to hear testimony on the following bills:
SB 568 (Bettencourt, et al.) relates to special education in public schools, including funding for special education under the Foundation School Program. It would allow the commissioner of education to adjust weights or amounts provided under specific sections of the law to ensure compliance with state and federal financial support requirements for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years. The bill specifies that the total state funding for extended year services could not exceed $10 million per year. School districts providing special transportation services for eligible special education students would be entitled to a state allocation based on a rate per mile.
SCR 5 (Eckhardt, et al.) directing the Texas School for the Deaf to name its middle school gymnasium the Robert Rives Gymnasium. Rives was a dedicated educator and a significant figure in the deaf and hard of hearing community. He was the first alumnus of the Texas School for the Deaf to attend what is now Gallaudet University and had a long career as a teacher and the first football coach at the school.
SB 57 (Zaffirini) would require school districts to include necessary accommodations for students with disabilities in their IEPs or Section 504 plans and by directing TEA to establish guidelines for school drill accommodations and multihazard emergency operations plans specifically for individuals with disabilities. Districts would be required to include specific provisions in their multihazard emergency operations plans that address the physical and psychological safety of students during natural disasters, active shooter situations, and other emergencies. The bill emphasizes the importance of professional development training for school personnel and includes training on integrating psychological safety and suicide prevention strategies into the district’s emergency plans.
SB 1447 (Menéndez, et al.) would require TEA to adopt standards that minimize data collection on students through electronic devices and software applications. Direct and informed parental consent would be required for a student’s use of software applications, except those necessary for certain assessments. Parents would have to be provided with resources to understand cybersecurity risks and online safety before their child uses an electronic device at school. The bill specifies periods during which electronic devices must be deactivated for student safety and considers age-appropriate adjustments for device use. Restrictions on student access to social media via school-provided devices are considered.
SB 27 (Creighton) would require TEA to collect data from school districts and charter schools to address teacher retention and recruitment issues. This data would include information on vacant teaching positions and could be collected through PEIMS. The bill amends state law to specify conditions under which a teacher may remove a student from class. Principals would be restricted from returning removed students to the teacher’s class without written consent, unless a committee determines it is the best or only alternative. The bill would also establish a grant program designed to reimburse schools that hire retired teachers and the Teacher Quality Assistance program, to provide training and technical assistance to improve professional growth and staff retention. SB 27 was removed from the agenda on March 10.
SB 24 (Campbell, et al.) would require the SBOE to adopt TEKS that develop each student’s understanding of communist regimes and ideologies across all grade levels from kindergarten through grade 12. This would include a comparative analysis of the ideologies of communism and totalitarianism contrasted with the United States’ founding principles of freedom and democracy. The bill would also require the SBOE to review and revise the social studies curriculum as needed by June 1, 2026.
