GKE(LEGAL) - COMMUNITY RELATIONS: BUSINESS, CIVIC, AND YOUTH GROUPS

Patriotic Society Access to Students

"Patriotic society" means a youth membership organization listed in Title 36 of the United States Code with an educational purpose that promotes patriotism and civic involvement.

At the beginning of each school year, the board shall adopt a policy to allow the principal of a campus to provide representatives of a patriotic society with the opportunity to speak to students during regular school hours about membership in the society and the ways in which membership may promote a student's educational interest and level of civic involvement, leading to the student's increased potential for self-improvement and ability to contribute to improving the student's school and community.

The board policy shall give a principal complete discretion over the specific date and time of the opportunity required to be provided, except that the policy shall allow the principal to limit the opportunity provided to a patriotic society to a single school day and any presentation made to students as a result of the opportunity to ten minutes in length.

Education Code 25.0822

[For provisions related to a patriotic society's access to school facilities, see GKD.]

Learning Pods

Definitions

"Child-care facility" has the meaning assigned by Human Resources Code 42.002.

"Learning pod" means a group of children who, based on the voluntary association of the children's parents, meet together at various times and places to participate in or enhance the children's primary or secondary academic studies, including participation in an activity or service provided to the children in exchange for payment.

Exemption from Local Government Regulation

A learning pod is exempt from any ordinance, rule, regulation, policy, or guideline adopted by a local governmental entity that applies to a school district campus or child-care facility, including any requirements regarding staff-to-child ratios, staff certification, background checks, physical accommodations, or building or fire codes; and any group, building, or facility associated with or used by a learning pod is exempt from any ordinance, rule, regulation, policy, or guideline adopted by a local governmental entity that would not apply to the group, building, or facility if it was not associated with or used by a learning pod.

An employee, contractor, or agent of a school district or other local governmental entity may not initiate or conduct a site inspection of, investigation of, or visit to a location in which a learning pod meets if the district or entity would not have initiated or conducted the inspection, investigation, or visit if the learning pod did not meet at that location.

A district may not take action against, deny any benefit to, discriminate in any manner against, or otherwise distinguish any child or child's parent on the basis of the child's participation in a learning pod.

A school district or other local governmental entity may not require:

1. A learning pod to be registered with the district or entity; or
2. A person participating in a learning pod to report to the district or entity information regarding the learning pod's existence or operation.

This statute may not be construed to alter or affect a parent's right to choose a homeschool setting for the parent's child or the regulation of a child-care facility.

Education Code 27.001, .002

Jourdanton ISD

GKE(LEGAL)-P

UPDATE 118

DATE ISSUED: 11/3/2021