Drafting Lessons. PTA Donations & PTA Funded School Positions

What’s happening? Schools in TX were getting PTA funds donated to pay for positions in the schools. Then the pandemic hit and well, things changed. So, in 2021, Texas Legislature approved an amendment on HB 1525 (2021 | TX) that sought to say- if a school got PTA donations for funding specific positions, those funds had to be spent for that purpose within the time period specified. Then Austin ISD said the budget will be approved before the bill I approved, so it won’t apply to this upcoming school year.

Why is this important? An Attorney General opinion has been requested to clarify this.

How will this be important? The Attorney General Opinion will determine not only how and when PTA donated funds can be used but also sets the tone for how to interpret similarly drafted laws in the future.

TX Attorney General Opinion Request RQ-0411 (2021)