This section requires certain school districts to fund juvenile justice alternative education services in some expulsion cases and bars programs from charging participation fees.
Sec. 37.012. FUNDING OF JUVENILE JUSTICE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a) Subject to Section 37.011(n), the school district in which a student is enrolled on the date the student is expelled for conduct for which expulsion is permitted but not required under Section 37.007 shall, if the student is served by the juvenile justice alternative education program, provide funding to the juvenile board for the portion of the school year for which the juvenile justice alternative education program provides educational services in an amount determined by the memorandum of understanding under Section 37.011(k)(2). (b) Funds received under this section must be expended on juvenile justice alternative education programs. (c) The Office of State-Federal Relations shall assist a local juvenile probation department in identifying additional state or federal funds to assist local juvenile probation departments conducting educational or job training programs within juvenile justice alternative education programs. (d) A school district is not required to provide funding to a juvenile board for a student who is assigned by a court to a juvenile justice alternative education program but who has not been expelled. (e) Except as otherwise authorized by law, a juvenile justice alternative education program may not require a student or the parent or guardian of a student to pay any fee, including an entrance fee or supply fee, for participating in the program. (f) Notwithstanding any other law, for purposes of any budget reductions requested by the Legislative Budget Board or the governor, any money received by a local juvenile probation department or appropriated to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for purposes of operating a juvenile justice alternative education program is considered to be part of the foundation school program and is not subject to those budget reductions. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1015, Sec. 10, eff. June 19, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1055, Sec. 17, eff. June 20, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 964 (H.B. 1687), Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005. Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 489 (H.B. 3456), Sec. 5, eff. June 14, 2021.