13th check bill on Friday House calendar; mask mandates to be considered in Monday committee hearing

The House is set to consider two important education bills Friday: SB 7, the 13^th check for TRS retirees; and SB 15, the legislation on virtual instruction. The bills are at the end of a calendar that includes other controversial legislation so they may come up somewhat late in the day.

The House Public Education Committee has scheduled a hearing for Monday that includes bills regarding mask mandates in schools (HB 141 by Leach would prohibit such mandates, HB 164 by Dutton would allow districts to require masks), and a bill (HB 233 by Huberty) to make revisions to HB 4545 from the regular session. HB 4545 was the accelerated instruction legislation; among the proposed revisions are:

• changing the maximum tutoring group size from three to 10, and
  
• allowing the commissioner to waive the laws regarding accelerated instruction and accelerated learning committees for a district in which at least 60% of students receiving accelerated instruction in the previous year subsequently passed the relevant STAAR exam(s).