A closed campus may be repurposed only if the commissioner makes specified findings and approves a new campus ID, and certain student enrollment and transfer protections apply.
Sec. 39A.113. REPURPOSING OF CLOSED CAMPUS. (a) If the commissioner orders the closure of a campus under this subchapter, that campus may be repurposed to serve students at that campus location only if the commissioner: (1) finds that the repurposed campus offers a distinctly different academic program and: (A) serves a majority of grade levels not served at the original campus; or (B) is operated under a contract, approved by the school district board of trustees, with a nonprofit organization exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, that: (i) has a governing board that is independent of the district; (ii) has a successful history of operating school district campuses or open-enrollment charter schools: (a) that cumulatively serve 10,000 or more students; and (b) a majority of which have been assigned an overall performance rating of B or higher under Section 39.054 for the preceding school year; and (iii) has been assigned an overall performance rating of B or higher under Section 39.054 for the preceding school year; and (2) approves a new campus identification number for the repurposed campus. (a-1) A contract described by Subsection (a)(1)(B) must provide that a student residing in the attendance zone of the campus immediately before the campus was repurposed shall be admitted for enrollment at the repurposed campus. (b) The majority of students assigned to a campus that has been closed and repurposed under Subsection (a)(1)(A) may not have attended that campus in the previous school year. (c) Any student assigned to a campus that has been closed must be allowed to transfer to any other campus in the school district that serves that student's grade level and on request must be provided transportation to the other campus. (d) The commissioner may grant an exemption allowing students assigned to a closed campus to attend the repurposed campus if there is no other campus in the school district at which the students may enroll. Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 324 (S.B. 1488), Sec. 21.001, eff. September 1, 2017. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 919 (H.B. 4205), Sec. 3, eff. June 10, 2019.