The bill, S.B. No. 436, proposes the establishment of a Property Value Study Hardship Grant Program aimed at providing financial assistance to eligible school districts in Texas. This program is designed to offset funding reductions that districts may experience under the Foundation School Program due to the use of state-determined taxable property values for the 2024 and 2025 tax years. The commissioner will administer the grant program for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, with a total funding cap of $175 million for grants awarded in any school year. The grants will be calculated based on the difference between the funding a district would have received using local taxable values and the funding it is entitled to under existing laws.

Additionally, the bill specifies that open-enrollment charter schools are not eligible for these grants and allows the commissioner to request further information from school districts to make determinations regarding grant eligibility. The bill also establishes that the commissioner must prioritize districts facing the greatest percentage reductions in funding and that decisions made by the commissioner regarding grant awards are final and not subject to appeal. The provisions of this section will expire on September 1, 2027, and the act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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