Relating to the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, including funding for that program under the Foundation School Program.

SB 2132 modifies Texas school funding rules for the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program. It allows school districts participating in R-PEP to continue the program regardless of student enrollment size, removing a previous attendance-based limit. The bill increases state funding for students in R-PEP college/career pathways: districts receive 1.15x the basic allotment for educationally disadvantaged students and 1.11x for others. It also requires districts to maintain a 175-day school calendar (or 5 days/week) for eligibility, with a temporary waiver option for the 2025-2026 school year, and caps total annual funding at $5 million. This directly affects rural school districts offering R-PEP pathways under the Foundation School Program.