House Bill 3 brings major changes to school safety, specifically requiring districts to strengthen active shooter policies and safety plans. Effective September 1, 2023, it is imperative that districts begin to review the new requirements of HB 3 to ensure policies and procedures are compliant in time for the upcoming school year. Security Officers/Facility Safety […]
Read moreFollowing the tragedy at Robb Elementary School, state educational leaders, legislators, and community members are seeking assurances from school districts across Texas regarding safety and security plans and procedures. The Texas House of Representatives Investigative Committee recently released a 77-page report detailing the Uvalde shooting and the extent to which the Uvalde ISD acted in […]
Read moreBelieve it or not, contract season is right around the corner. And, as you are no doubt aware, Texas Governor Abbott recently issued Executive Order GA-34. The Order, which goes into effect on March 10, 2021, removes the state-wide operating limits and mask mandate that have been (depending on your perspective) keeping the spread of […]
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By Heather Castillo Here at Leasor Crass, we are keeping a close eye on the bills being filed for the upcoming Texas legislative session which will either directly affect or have some impact on our clients. Filed on December 30, 2020, Senate Bill 272 really caught our attention. It requires a school district board of […]
Read moreBelow are today’s updates regarding COVID-19 and its impact on Texas public schools. For additional resources, please visit our COVID-19 page. Title IX: Questions and Answers Regarding the Final Rule Dean Micknal, Partner and Victoria Elliott, Associate On May 6, 2020, the US Department of Education issued an extensive update to the Title IX regulations […]
Read moreBelow are today’s updates regarding COVID-19 and its impact on Texas public schools. For additional resources, please visit our COVID-19 page. Documenting Temporary SPED Services Dean Micknal, Partner; Victoria Elliott, Associate During the current pandemic, public school districts have an ongoing obligation to provide FAPE to students with disabilities. Therefore, district personnel need to attempt […]
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 […]
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 […]
Read moreMike Morath handed down a decision ruling Texas Education Code §37.105 “does not limit the right of a school board to exclude individuals from school property.” The Lead-Up This controversy started with Mr. Santiago Salinas, a member of the Webb Consolidated Independent School District’s Board of Trustees during the 2016-2017 school year and the father […]
Read moreTexas law prohibits collective bargaining and strikes by public employees, but it preserves the right to redress of grievances. Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. §617.005 provides: “This chapter does not impair the right of public employees to present grievances concerning their wages, hours of employment, or conditions of work either individually or through a representative that […]
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