The Texas School for the Deaf is governed by a nine-member board with specific membership requirements, staggered six-year terms, reimbursement-only service, and several board powers and duties.
Sec. 30.052. GOVERNANCE OF THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF. (a) The Texas School for the Deaf is governed by a nine-member board appointed by the governor in accordance with this section and confirmed by the senate. A person may not serve simultaneously on the school's governing board and the board of the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Each member of the board must be a person who is experienced in working with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, a person who is the parent of a person who is deaf, or a person who is deaf. The board, at least five of whom must be deaf, consists of: (1) at least one person who is an alumnus of the Texas School for the Deaf; (2) at least three persons who are parents of a deaf person; and (3) at least three persons who are experienced in working with deaf persons. (b) Members of the board serve for terms of six years, with the terms of three members expiring on January 31 of each odd-numbered year. (c) Members of the board serve without salary but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in carrying out official duties. (d) The board shall organize and conduct itself in the same manner as an independent school district board of trustees to the extent that the organization and conduct do not conflict with the board's responsibilities relating to the status of the school as a state agency. (e) The board shall prepare or provide for preparation of a biennial budget request for the school for presentation to the legislature. (f) Before the beginning of each fiscal year, the board shall adopt a calendar for the school's operation that provides for at least: (1) the minimum number of days of instruction required by Section 25.081; and (2) the minimum number of days of service required by Section 21.401. (g) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an action of the board may be appealed to a district court in Travis County. An action of the board related to a dismissal during the term of a teacher's contract or to a nonrenewal of a teacher's contract may be appealed to the commissioner in the manner prescribed by Subchapter G, Chapter 21. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "teacher" has the meaning assigned by Section 30.055(a). (h) Except as provided by Subsection (h-1), the board has jurisdiction over the physical assets of the school and shall administer and spend appropriations to carry out the purposes of the school as provided by Section 30.051. (h-1) The Texas Facilities Commission shall provide all facilities maintenance services for the physical facilities of the school as provided by Section 2165.007, Government Code. (i) The board may accept and retain control of gifts, devises, bequests, donations, or grants, either absolutely or in trust, of money, securities, personal property, and real property from any individual, estate, group, association, or corporation. The funds or other property donated or the income from the property may be spent by the board for: (1) any purpose designated by the donor that is in keeping with the lawful purpose of the school; or (2) any legal purpose, if a specific purpose is not designated by the donor. (j) The board may license some or all of the physical facilities of the school and shall adopt policies implementing this subsection which may include establishing a fee schedule for lease of the facilities to the following persons under the following conditions: (1) any organization, group, or individual at the prevailing market rate; or (2) a federal or state agency, a unit of local government, a nonprofit organization, a school employee, or an individual member of the general public at less than the prevailing market rate if the board determines that sufficient public benefit will be derived from the use. (k) A license issued by the board under Subsection (j) is subject to termination on sale or lease of the affected facility under Chapter 672, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session, 1989 (Article 5421t, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), and Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Natural Resources Code. (l) The governing board of the Texas School for the Deaf may employ security personnel, enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local law enforcement agency for the provision of school resource officers, and commission peace officers in the same manner as a board of trustees of a school district under Section 37.081. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 6.02, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1340, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1308, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1153 (S.B. 211), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2013. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1358 (S.B. 1457), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2013. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 247 (S.B. 836), Sec. 2, eff. May 29, 2015. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 402 (S.B. 1707), Sec. 1, eff. June 2, 2019.