On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) into law. The Act includes two separate, but complimentary provisions, the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (“EFMLEA”) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (“EPSLA”). Both provisions become effective on April 2, 2020 and are currently set to sunset […]
Read moreNew special-education guidance has been issued by TEA pertaining to the many issues that school districts are currently grappling with. That guidance reiterates that state and federal laws do not provide any flexibility to districts in times of emergency regarding the obligation to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students receiving special […]
Read moreGovernor Abbott issued a proclamation today that suspends provisions of the Texas Election Code to allow political subdivisions to postpone their May 2, 2020 local elections until November 3, 2020. This action is aimed at avoiding large gatherings of members of the public in the continued effort to stem the tide of COVID-19. Governor Abbott […]
Read moreThe Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has issued the following guidance concerning the calculation of business days under the Public Information Act (PIA) during the response to COVID-19: Holidays observed by the governmental body are not business days. Weekends are not business days. Skeleton crew days are not business days. A day on which […]
Read moreWe here at Leasor Crass know that school districts are faced with a number of issues related to the possible spread of COVID-19. The purpose of this guidance is to address some of the more common questions we have encountered. This guidance is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for obtaining legal […]
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We at Leasor Crass, P.C. understand that all districts in Texas are dealing with COVID-19 concerns. Below are several sites offering good information on the topic. Federal: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/index.html https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic State: https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/safe-and-healthy-schools/coronavirus-covid-19-support-and-guidance https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/ https://dshs.texas.gov/regions/default.shtm
Read moreA school district was found to have denied FAPE to a student when it failed to provide any IDEA services after the student was expelled from school for attacking another student. What is FAPE, under IDEA? Under IDEA, a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is special education and related services that: Are provided at public […]
Read moreThe 86th Legislature was hard at work this year drafting and pushing bills affecting school districts across Texas. One such bill you should be aware of may affect the way school districts handle the all too familiar Public Information Act request. Senate Bill 944 is effective September 1, 2019 and makes several changes to the […]
Read moreBy Victoria Elliott, Associate In a world where high school and college degrees are everything and hard work is often overlooked, students in special education or those students who struggle to pass end-of-year assessments are already at a disadvantage. In the past, these students could not graduate high school with an endorsement if they were […]
Read moreOn May 24, 2019, Attorney General Ken Paxton handed down an opinion, at the request of Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, providing some much needed clarity regarding “walking quorums” and the Texas Open Meetings Act (“the Act”). The Request for Opinion came after the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled in State v. Doyal that Section […]
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