Relating to public education and public school finance.

Contracts

• Teacher Employment Agreements: You must revise standard contracts to remove automatic sanctions for abandonment if the resignation occurs 45 days prior to instruction due to "good cause" (serious illness, spousal relocation, or family needs). The law now grants statutory immunity for these specific scenarios.
• Pre-K Construction/Leases: Before contracting to build or lease new Pre-K space, you must solicit proposals from community providers. You cannot execute a construction contract unless a "Pre-K Partnership Intermediary" certifies that existing private providers cannot meet the need.
• Safety Vendors: Procurement contracts for safety technology using allotment funds must be with vendors on the TEA-approved list. If utilizing a non-listed vendor, you must document a formal three-bid solicitation process.

Hiring/Training

• Uncertified Teacher Audit: HR must immediately audit all staff teaching foundation curriculum. You must implement a transition plan to ensure these employees obtain full certification or are replaced by the 2029-2030 school year.
• Special Education Intake: Intake staff and ARD committees must be retrained to document student needs based on "Service Groups" and "Intensity," rather than the expiring "Instructional Arrangement" codes, to ensure correct reimbursement starting in 2026.
• Disciplinary Documentation: Principals must be trained on the new "Return to Class Plan." A student removed for discipline cannot be returned to the teacher's class without the teacher's consent unless this specific plan is generated and filed.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Facility Usage Report (New): You must file an annual report detailing the square footage, acreage, student capacity, and specific usage (instructional vs. admin) for *every* facility owned or leased. Inaccurate reporting may jeopardize future bond capacity.
• Teacher Vacancy Data: PEIMS reporting must now include granular data on teacher vacancies, retention rates, and the duration of open positions.
• TIA Fund Certification: Finance departments must certify annually that 90% of Teacher Incentive Allotment funds were paid directly to compensation at the designated campus, with the remaining 10% restricted to implementation costs.

Fees & Costs

• Mandatory Salary Increases: Districts must utilize 40% (up from 30%) of the new revenue per student to fund compensation increases. Employees must be kept whole; salary reductions based on funding shifts are prohibited.
• Special Education Grants: A new Parent-Directed Services Grant provides $1,500 per eligible student. Districts must prepare for the administrative workflow of verifying eligibility for these funds.
• Fee Waivers: Budget for $0 revenue from certification exam fees for Special Education and Bilingual candidates, as these are now statutorily waived.