🟡Relating to the provision of virtual education in public schools and to certain waivers and modifications by the commissioner of education to the method of calculating average daily attendance in an emergency or crisis for purposes of preserving school district funding entitlements under the Foundation School Program; authorizing a fee.

🟡 SB 569: New rules for virtual and hybrid public school programs

What it says it does:
Expands and standardizes virtual and hybrid instruction in public schools, sets quality and authorization rules, and aligns funding with attendance procedures set by the commissioner. Effective date, Not in files.

What it actually changes:
Replaces the old virtual network with a new framework for virtual and hybrid courses and full time campuses. Puts the commissioner in charge of authorizing and revoking programs, sets rule based attendance counting for funding, and lets districts charge tuition to non enrolled students. Moves certain enrollment appeals to local boards with final decisions.

Who is pushing for it:
Supporters named in files include district leaders and trustees, Texas 2036, Parents for School Options, Texas Public Charter Schools, Texas Family Project, Texas Association of Business, Texas Business Leadership Council, Stride or K12, Imagine Learning, Great Hearts Texas, Blue Learning, and Children at Risk.

Who benefits:
Districts and charters that can launch or expand virtual and hybrid campuses. Approved vendors and course providers that can partner under the new structure. Families who want virtual options when their local board allows access.

Who gets left out or exposed:
Parents lose a state level appeal on some course access denials. Small or fiscally tight districts may be more likely to deny requests based on cost. Districts counting on fast growth measures may see limits when students are in full time virtual settings. Opponents or “on” witnesses noted in files include organizations like Every Texan and Texas Appleseed.

Why this matters long term:
Funding and access turn on agency rules and local board decisions. That can make programs durable even if short term grants fade, and it can normalize third party providers inside public systems without matching upgrades to transparency.

What to watch next:
Commissioner rules on attendance and program quality, the statewide course list with pricing and third party flags, local board policies for approving or denying student access, and how provider eligibility or ineligibility is determined over time.

Bottom line:
This builds a statewide structure for virtual and hybrid learning, it opens a path for vendors and cross district tuition, and it concentrates key approvals with the commissioner and local boards, so outcomes will depend on rules and board level decisions.

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