AG 1996 12 16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Proposed Goals (As Approved by Board of Directors) Public Education 1. State Funding for Public Schools Support legislatio,n to maintain state educational expenditures with maximum flexibility at the local level, as follows: · State funding to improve early childhood education; · Full state funding of a basic education program, with emphasis being given to lowering student-teacher ratios; and Full state funding of the Low Wealth Schools Supplemental Fund; the funding formula should be modified to apply a 10% partial penalty, rather than a 100% penalty, in the first year a county falls below the 100% level on the measures of "local effort." The same partial penalty should apply with respect to the Small Schools Fund. This goal, carried over from the t995 Session, was modified by the Legislative Goals Committee by adding "with maximum flexibility at the local level" in the introductory language and by adding "lowering student teacher rations" in the second bullet. The Basic Education Program (BEP), adopted by the General Assembly in the mid 1980s, was delayed in implementation (originally scheduled over ten years) by the state's budget problems of the early 1990's. State officials estimate that the BEP is approximately 75% funded with the cost of remaining implementation between $250 and $300 million, depending on teacher salary initiatives and other variables. The Board of Directors voted to support _a basic education program rather than the specific program begun in the mid 80's. The Low Wealth School funding program currently provides $46 million to school systems in 71 counties. The complex formula used to determine which school systems are eligible for funding uses an "effective county tax rate" measured against the "effective state average tax rate" and, if the county figure falls below the state figure, can cause a system to be ineligible. Since prior year effective tax calculations are used, a county can lose eligibility, and 100% of its Iow wealth funding, because of actions and tax increases in other counties over which it has no control. This proposal seeks to modify the calculation to reduce the penalty in the first year a county falls below the state average; so that the loss would be 10% of its funding rather than 100%. Full state funding of the Low Wealth School Supplemental Fund is estimated at $96 million, $50 million more than current appropriations. The Board of Directors added a similar provision with respect to penalties assessed in administration of the Small Schools Fund.