The Texas Legislature signed SB 1882 into law in 2017. This bill incentivizes districts to create district-charter partnerships to improve student outcomes by offering two benefits: partnerships may receive additional state funding for the parternship school, and schools that received an overall F rating under state accountability are eligible to receive a two-year exemption from specific accountability interventions. 

The partner has responsibility for personnel, as well as authority over decisions related to cirriculum, calendar, and assessments. The district holds the partner accountable through a performance contract outlining academic goals for the school, as well as division of roles and responsibilities. 

Yes! The partner will facilitate the instruction and operate the campus, but all students will continue to be registered and attend JISD with transportation provided either by JISD or the partner. It is important to the Board and Administration to ensure the partner selected continues to support our school spirit and the Bulldog community.

It is the desire of JISD that the potential partner will maintain consistency with campus leadership; however, when participating in a partnership under SB 1882, the District is required to allow the partner to make all staffing decisions. All current employees will be eligible for consideration for continued employment with the partner on the campus.

The current accountability system dictates the closure or removal of local control for all five-year improvement campuses that do not meet standards. Although our projections have us entering year 4 (once we finally receive our rating for the 2022-2023 school year) the District wants to be proactive and take action now to ensure that the Jasper community retains local control. Should Parnell earn a C or higher for its 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 accountability rating, the District will work with TEA to determine JISD’s options to continue regular operation of Parnell.

As the District is at the start of the process to solicit partners, the terms of partnership have not been set. Nevertheless, the goal of JISD is to work with a partner to facilitate turnaround and then return the campus to JISD operations. The minimum length of a partnership contract is three years.

 July 1^st, 2024 is the anticipated dated. It will be based on contract negotiations between the District the partner.

SB 1882 requires for the partner operator to have full autonomy regarding the selection and assignment of personnel. As such, the partner will determine who is assigned to work on the campus. That said, current employees will be considered for their current positions on the campus. Moreover, all rights and protections that JISD currently affords to employees will not be affected by partnership. 

Possibly. The selected partner will decide whether employees assigned to Parnell remain employed by JISD or are employees of the partner operating the campus. Nevertheless, no employee’s contract rights will be affected by the new partnership. All SBEC certified educators are employed on either a one-year term or probationary contract and the Board renews contracts each year based upon employee performance. If an employee is not selected by the campus partner for assignment at Parnell, the District will consider vacancies in the District for reassignment with priority provided to appropriately certified staff. Should reassignments be necessary, it is our goal to inform teachers before the end of the 23-24 school year. 

Yes. If staff members assigned to Parnell become employees of the partner, the staff members will remain eligible for TRS. Compensation and other benefits are at the discretion of the partner. 

We are currently accepting partnership applications, so the terms of the proposed partnership and employment of staff are not yet determined. That said, any partner JISD selects will be eligible to apply for and allocate funds available through the Teacher Incentive Allotment. Partners have historically applied for and received TIA funds to be paid to TIA eligible teachers from what we have seen. However, JISD cannot guarantee continued access to the TIA if the partner does not elect to participate in the program.

Yes. In the spring after the partner is selected, it is JISD’s expectation that the partner will meet with all existing staff to review the partner’s vision for Parnell and current data achieved this year. 

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No, districts may also pursue benefits for Innovation schools. Innovation schools include existing district schools that received an acceptable overall. A, B, C, or D rating the year prior to becoming a partnership school and newly launched schools with a new county district campus number. 

Any district that authorizes an eligible partner to run a school may be eligible for Partnership School benefits. 

To be eligible for benefits, partner organizations must be non-profits (including state-authorized charter schools), institutions of higher educatoin, or government entities. 

To meet the state’s definition for “good standing”,  the partner must have at least three years of experience operating a Texas charter school and must have received acceptable academic and financial accountability ratings for the three preceeding school years. In addition, the partner may not be associated with a charter that has been revoked. 

To be eligible for the exemption, the partnership school must have received an “Improvement Required” rating in the year prior to entering the partnership. 

For schools with a first, second, or third consecutive unacceptable rating, the accountability intervention exemption begins the academic year after the school seeks approval for partnership benefits. For schools with four or more consecutive unacceptable ratings, the exemption begins in the school year the district applies for benefits. The exemption lasts for two years. 

Districts are only exempt from interventions outlined under TEC 39A.101 and TEC39A.111 (formerly TEC 39.107(a) and (e)) related to the performance of an approved parternship school. Specifically, the agency may not impose that the campus prepare and submit a turnaround plan, as outlined in TEC §39A.101, and/or close the campus, as outlined in TEC §39A.111(2). 

To determine district eligibility for additional funding, and to estimate the amount of additional funding, districts should use the “District Charter Funding SY2019” tab on the State Aid Template of TEA’s Charter School Finance website. 

Yes. Districts and partners are required to create a service-level agreement outling services the district will provide to the partnership school, which can include transportation and other support services. 

Yes. Partners may not include any members of the independent school district’s Board of Trustrees, the Superintendent, or staff responsible for evaluating the Local Campus Partnership Application or overseeing the Partnership Performance Contract. Partner board members must attend a TEA-approved board training within a year of the approval of benefits. 

Yes. District staff may not comprise a majority of any board with which the district approves a Partnership Performance Contract. 

Yes. Districts may not appoint a majority of the members of the governing board of the partner organization. 

Yes. Local policy determines conflicts of interest. However, districts must provide an assurance that no member of the governing body of the partenr will be related within the first degree of affinity or consanguinity with any members of the independent school district’s Board of Trustees, the Superintendent, or staff responsible for granting the charter or contract to partner to operate or overseeing the performance contract. 

To be eligible for Partnership School benefits, performance contracts must have a minimum term of three years with a maximum term of ten years. The district and the operating partner negotiate the length of the agreement. 

Districts must hold a public hearing to eitehr extend or terminate the agreement. 

No. To receive partnership school benefits, districts must provide an assurance that the Partnership Performance Contract is not contigent on receiving an acceptable accountability rating. 

For a parternship school to be eligible for benefits, the partner must manage the principal or school leader.