SCHOOL AID SUPPLEMENTAL S.B. 133:
SUMMARY AS ENACTED
Senate Bill 133 (as enacted) PUBLIC ACT 143 of 2017
Sponsor: Senator Dave Hildenbrand
Date Completed: 11-3-17
CONTENT
The bill would amend the fiscal year (FY) 2017-18 School Aid budget by restoring two items that were vetoed by the Governor, increasing funding for two other programs, and making a number of boilerplate changes. The total increase in spending, compared to the enacted level of appropriations for FY 2017-18, would be $5,450,000 gross, of which $1,310,000 would be funded with General Fund/General Purpose (GF/GP) dollars and the remaining $4,140,000 million would come from the School Aid Fund (SAF).
Specifically, the bill would restore Sections 99u (online mathematics at $1.0 million) and 104e (digital assessment at $250,000), which were vetoed by the Governor. In addition, the bill would increase funding for information technology certifications from $1.0 million to $2.3 million, and would increase funding (and change the distribution) for career and technical education (CTE) equipment from $9.6 million to $12.5 million. Of the $12.5 million, $7.0 million would be distributed equally to career education planning districts (CEPDs), $5.0 million would be distributed via a competitive grant process, and $0.5 million would be earmarked for a mechatronics program. (The current method of distributing CTE equipment funding is on an equal dollar basis to all CEPDs.)
The bill includes several boilerplate changes. The bill would add a new section detailing reporting requirements for certain programs funded in the budget (Section 19b). The bill also includes language in Section 21f that would exempt nonpublic or home-schooled pupils from submitting an education development plan that is required for pupils taking virtual courses. Under Section 32d, the bill would allow children who turn age four between September 2 and December 1 to enroll in the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) as program space allowed, and would permit Americorps to provide curriculum for GSRP classrooms.
In addition, in Section 104c, the bill would cap the average amount of time spent on the math/English Language Arts portion of the M-STEP at three hours for any one grade level, as well as change some reporting dates, require approval of at least three benchmark assessments by March 1, and require the creation of a benchmark assessment budget request for FY 2018-19.
Also, the bill includes changes to Section 31a (At Risk) that would restore an FY 2016-17 provision to allow a district to use up to 100% of its At Risk funds to implement schoolwide reform in schools with 40% of the pupils identified as At Risk, and also would restore the definition of an "at-risk pupil" to the FY 2016-17 definition. Under the bill, the At Risk section would be amended further to allow districts to use their funds to support instructional or behavioral coaches.
The bill also includes numerous other smaller boilerplate changes, found in Sections 18c, 25e, 31j, 35a, 95a, 99r, 102d, 107, 147a, and 166.
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would restore GF/GP support of the K-12 budget to the enrolled level (i.e., the amount supporting the K-12 budget before vetoes) of $215.0 million, which would be an increase of $1,310,000 and would fund the specified veto restorations, and also would increase SAF support by $4,140,000. The total spending increase would be $5,450,000.
Table 1 below illustrates the supplemental spending in Senate Bill 133.
Table 1
|
Supplemental Spending in Senate Bill 133 |
||||
|
Section Number |
Description |
Gross |
Effective Fund Source |
|
|
SAF |
GF/GP |
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|
Section 61c |
CTE Equipment........................................................... |
$2.9 million |
$2.84 million |
$0.06 million |
|
Section 64d |
Information Technology Certification........... |
$1.3 million |
$1.3 million |
--- |
|
Section 99u |
Online Math.................................................................. |
$1.0 million |
--- |
$1.0 million |
|
Section 104e |
Digital Assessment Preparation....................... |
$250,000 |
--- |
$250,000 |
|
Total................................................................................................................... |
$5,450,000 |
$4,140,000 |
$1,310,000 |
|
Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.