A bill reiterating parental rights to children’s school records passed the Senate this week, one of a slate of Republican-authored bills solidifying and sometimes broadening parental oversight in education.
Senate Bill 112, authored by North Texas Republican Sen. Bob Hall, would amend the state education code to explicitly give parents access to their child’s electronic records, including test scores and attendance records, in addition to written documents.
It would also require schools obtain parental consent for well-being questionnaires, health care screenings or surveys in addition to psychological tests.
“In practice, schools are not always forthcoming with information, and parents have reported difficulty obtaining their student's records, to which they are entitled by law,” the author’s intent reads.
A Senate Joint Resolution co-authored by Republican Sen. Angela Paxton of McKinney would put a constitutional amendment before voters this November “establishing a parent's right to direct a child's education."
The rights — such as that to “choose an alternative to public education,” to “access and view public school teaching materials ... and library books” and to attend school board meetings — are “already enumerated in the Education Code and deserve elevation to the Texas Constitution,” SJR 12’s statement of intent reads.
The resolution is awaiting final action by the Senate.
A separate Paxton bill, SB204, calls on the State Board of Education to create a handbook explaining rights of parents in the education of their child. It also requires trustees to complete a training course on the rights of parents in the education of their child.
It passed the Senate Education Committee earlier this month.
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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