SECTION 157.1186. Expedited Review

(a) The State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) shall expedite its review of a challenge under this division in order to meet the requirements of this section.

(b) The administrative law judge shall issue a pre-hearing order as soon as practical after the petition for review is transmitted to the SOAH, setting all necessary deadlines.

(c) The administrative law judge may grant a continuance of the date set in subsection (b) of this section only for good cause shown.

(d) The administrative law judge may not order a settlement conference, mediation, or other form of alternative dispute resolution.

(e) The administrative law judge shall issue a final order as soon as practical after the petition for review is transmitted to the SOAH.

(f) In all cases where the matter is docketed at SOAH on or before March 15, the administrative law judge shall issue a final order not later than May 31 of the same year.

(g) In setting deadlines and issuing orders, the SOAH shall consider the following:

(1) the need for parents and students to evaluate, select, and enroll in another school district or open-enrollment charter school;

(2) the need for educators and staff to find other employment;

(3) the need for the school district or open-enrollment charter school to engage in an orderly termination of its operations; and

(4) the need for the Texas Education Agency to facilitate and complete an orderly termination of the operations of a school district or open-enrollment charter school.

Source Note: The provisions of this §157.1186 adopted to be effective September 18, 2014, 39 TexReg 7334