SECTION 61.1009. Fast Growth Allotment

(a) Definitions. The following definitions apply to the fast growth allotment in accordance with the Texas Education Code (TEC), §48.111.

(1) Fast growth district--A school district with total enrollment growth, based on a prior six-year period, that exceeds 250.

(2) Enrollment--The number of students reported by the school district in the fall submission to the Texas Student Data System Public Education Information Management System (TSDS PEIMS).

(3) Applicable school year--The school year in which the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will deliver the fast growth allotment to the district.

(b) Eligibility. School districts are eligible for this allotment. TEC, §12.106(a), excludes charter holders from eligibility for the fast growth allotment.

(c) Determination of allotment. The commissioner of education will determine a district's eligibility and calculate the allotment to which a district is entitled in the following manner.

(1) Prior to the start of the applicable school year, each school district's enrollment for the preceding school year, and for the six school years prior to the applicable school year, will be obtained from TSDS PEIMS.

(2) The student enrollment growth value as defined by TEC, §48.111(a), for each district will be calculated by subtracting 250 from the difference in the number of students enrolled in the district during the school year preceding the current school year and the number of students enrolled in the district six years prior to the current school year, excluding from the comparison students enrolled in a full-time accredited virtual campus through the Texas Virtual School Network under TEC, Chapter 30A.

(3) The cumulative growth value over 250 for each district will be the sum of all current year growth values that are sorted in the order of lowest to highest, ending with the growth value for that district.

(4) The percentile of growth for each district will be calculated by dividing the district's cumulative growth value over 250 by the statewide total value of cumulative growth over 250.

(5) For the 2021-2022 school year, TEA will freeze the hold harmless comparison between the district's fast growth allotment for the 2019-2020 school year and the district's fast growth allotment for the 2021-2022 school year on January 1, 2022, and the fast growth allotment hold harmless amount that a district receives for the 2021-2022 school year under TEC, §48.111(d) and (d-1), will not change after that date.

(6) Using the sorting methodology described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection:

(A) school districts whose percentile of growth is greater than or includes 60.00% are determined to be in the tier with the highest funding weight;

(B) school districts whose percentile of growth is greater than or includes 30.00% and less than 60.00% are determined to be in the tier with the middle funding weight; and

(C) school districts whose percentile of growth is less than 30.00% are determined to be in the tier with the lowest funding weight.

(7) A determination of the commissioner made under this section is final and not subject to appeal.

Source Note: The provisions of this §61.1009 adopted to be effective January 9, 2020, 45 TexReg 337; amended to be effective May 3, 2022, 47 TexReg 2526