Sec. 26.0031. RIGHTS CONCERNING STATE VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK. (a) At the time and in the manner that a school district or open-enrollment charter school informs students and parents about courses that are offered in the district's or school's traditional classroom setting, the district or school shall notify parents and students of the option to enroll in an electronic course offered through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a school district or open-enrollment charter school in which a student is enrolled as a full-time student may not deny the request of a parent of a student to enroll the student in an electronic course offered through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A.

(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may deny a request to enroll a student in an electronic course if:

(1) a student attempts to enroll in a course load that is inconsistent with the student's high school graduation plan or requirements for college admission or earning an industry certification;

(2) the student requests permission to enroll in an electronic course at a time that is not consistent with the enrollment period established by the school district or open-enrollment charter school providing the course; or

(3) the district or school offers a substantially similar course.

(c-1) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may decline to pay the cost for a student of more than three yearlong electronic courses, or the equivalent, during any school year. This subsection does not:

(1) limit the ability of the student to enroll in additional electronic courses at the student's cost; or

(2) apply to a student enrolled in a full-time online program that was operating on January 1, 2013.

(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (c)(2), a school district or open-enrollment charter school that provides an electronic course through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A shall make all reasonable efforts to accommodate the enrollment of a student in the course under special circumstances.

(e) A parent may appeal to the commissioner a school district's or open-enrollment charter school's decision to deny a request to enroll a student in an electronic course offered through the state virtual school network. The commissioner's decision under this subsection is final and may not be appealed.

(f) A school district or open-enrollment charter school from which a parent of a student requests permission to enroll the student in an electronic course offered through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A has discretion to select a course provider approved by the network's administering authority for the course in which the student will enroll based on factors including the informed choice report in Section 30A.108(b).

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1337 (S.B. 1788), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2007.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1386 (H.B. 1926), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013.