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The Texas Education Agency has released final rules on a controversial dropout recovery grant program that allows state grant funds to be awarded to private schools. The rules resulted from a comprehensive high school dropout reduction and completion bill (HB 2237) passed during the 2006 legislative session that contained a seemingly innocuous provision about the programs.
However, the Commissioner of Education drafted rules allowing for state-funded dropout recovery grants to go to private schools, turning the program into a flashpoint for a voucher battle. Voucher proponents, despite numerous attempts, have not been able to garner the support necessary to pass a voucher bill through the legislative process; so when the Commissioner proposed rules on the dropout recovery program, a bipartisan group of lawmakers voiced their opposition via letter and public testimony, saying that the Commissioner was clearly going outside the bounds of legislative intent when drafting these rules.
Those lawmakers included Rep. Diane Patrick, Rep. Scott Hochberg, Sen. Leticia Van De Putte, and Sen. Royce West, all members of the conference committee for HB 2237. TEA held a hearing on the issue at which TCTA testified about our concerns and the agency has posted its responses.
The effective date for the rules was August 28, 2008.
Private entities were listed as grant recipients when Commissioner Scott released the list in its entirety, following the formalized adoption of the rules. We expect to see the legislature attempt to address Commissioner Scott's rules during the 81st legislative session, which begins in 2009.
The grant recipients are:
| Alief ISD | ESC 4 |
ISD |
| American Youthworks | ESC 13 |
non-profit |
| Arlington ISD | ESC 11 |
ISD |
| Austin Community College | ESC 13 |
IHE |
| Birdville ISD | ESC 11 |
ISD |
| Christian Fellowship of San Antonio | ESC 20 |
non-profit |
| Clear Creek ISD | ESC 4 |
ISD |
| Community Action Inc. of Hays, Caldwell & Blanco Counties | ESC 13 |
non-profit |
| Dallas Community College District | ESC 10 |
IHE |
| Dallas ISD | ESC 10 |
ISD |
| El Paso ISD | ESC 19 |
ISD |
| Galveston ISD | ESC 4 |
ISD |
| Grand Prairie ISD | ESC 10 |
ISD |
| Harlandale ISD | ESC 20 |
ISD |
| Harris County Department of Education | ESC 4 |
county |
| Healy-Murphy Center, Inc. | ESC 20 |
private |
| Lewisville ISD | ESC 11 |
ISD |
| Pasadena ISD | ESC 4 |
ISD |
| Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD | ESC 1 |
ISD |
| Round Rock ISD | ESC 13 |
ISD |
| San Antonio ISD | ESC 20 |
ISD |
| Winfree Academy Charter School | ESC 10 |
charter |
Web posted: 08/28/08
