1. Legislative Update Legislative Update
Presented to the Board of Trustees by
Dr. Maroba Zoeller, Chief Governmental Relations Officer
January 23, 2017

2. BUDGETS FILED FOR BIENNIUM
Comptroller Hegar estimate = $104.9 Billion which is 2.7% below what they had to spend
Senate Billion
House Billion
Appropriations:
Senate Bill $103.6 Billion
House $108.9 Billion
$1.5 billion more in state funds for education than the Senate’s.

3. SENATE APPROPRIATIONS $103.6B
Continuation of current funding formulas for public and higher education
$2.65 billion for student enrollment
Increase in the Instructional Material Allotment (IMA) of $29.6 million
Increase for high-quality pre-K of $32 million
$5 million for a new program designed to help students pursue careers in technology (Pathways in Technology Early College High School [P-TECH])
Maintenance of current funding level for Communities in Schools program
Increase of $260 million for Child Protective Services

4. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS $108.9B
Funding for enrollment growth for approximately 165,000 students ($2.65 Million)
Increase of $1.5 billion for public education that is contingent upon the passage of legislation that reduces recapture and improves equity in the school finance system
Increase of $268 million for Child Protective Services

5. SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Lt. Gov. Patrick shook up this committee, stacking it with some of the Senate’s most ardent defenders of vouchers as he prepares to push his “pro-choice” agenda.
Removed 2 democrats who had become vocal opponents of the Senate GOP agenda that they argue neglects public schools.
Senator Van Taylor, Collin County will continue to serve on this committee

6. 2017 Legislative Priorities
A-F Accountability System
Repeal A-F Accountability System designed to rank order schools within each domain to allow for comparison of schools/districts. The bulk of the rankings will be based solely on a once a year STAAR/EOC assessment that has been proven to be defective, not statistically significant or reliable, and detrimental to students and the teaching profession. The present standard setting process indicates that it will be impossible for all schools to earn an A.

7. 2017 Legislative Priorities
School Funding
The basic allotment should be raised creating additional funding for all districts in Texas. The increased allotment would not require additional revenue from the state, rather revenues generated by increased property values would be returned to local school districts.

8. 2017 Legislative Priorities
Vouchers or Education Savings Grants
Oppose a state voucher plan, tax credit, taxpayer savings grants, tuition reimbursements, or any program that diverts public tax dollars to private entities, homeschool students, or parents with little or no academic or financial accountability to the state, taxpayers, or local communities.

9. A-F Grading System HB 843 Gonzalez, Mary(D)
Relating to designations for rating the performance of public school districts and campuses for accountability purposes.
Changes the ratings labels used for state accountability purposes. Rather than using letter grades of A-F as labels, the bill would require TEA to assign schools and districts academic accountability ratings of Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable, or Needs Improvement.
In the financial accountability system, bill language refers to ratings of less than satisfactory performance.
Locally determined community and student engagement ratings would change from A-F labels to Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable or Needs Improvement.
Effective date: Sept. 1, 2017.

10. School Funding HB 94 Dutton, Harold(D)
Relating to the basic allotment and the equalized wealth level under the public school finance system.
Raises the basic allotment in general law to $5,800. This represents a 12.8% increase in the basic allotment. It would also increase the equalized wealth level applicable to compressed tax rates. Approximate fiscal note of $5 billion per year.

11. School Funding
Companions: SB 161; Rodriguez, Jose(D); (Identical); S Filed
Raise the bilingual education allotment weight in the Foundation School Program to 0.25 from the current weight of 0.10.
Raise the CTE funding weight

12. School Funding HJR 27Howard, Donna(D)
Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to pay at least 50 percent of the cost of maintaining and operating the public school system and prohibiting the comptroller from certifying certain legislation.
Remarks: As filed: This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the state to pay at least 50% of the cost of the public school finance system. It directs the Comptroller to certify whether an appropriations bill that makes appropriations for the general maintenance and operation of the system of public free schools complies with the 50% requirement. The proposed amendment would appear on the November 7, 2017 ballot.

13. School Funding S.B. 1 Jane Nelson: Appropriations Bill:
Continues the current funding formulas for both public education and higher education;
    - Adds $2.65 billion to cover student enrollment growth, which is projected to be more than 80,000 per year over the next two years;
    - Increases the education instructional materials allotment by $29.6 million;
    - Provides an additional $32 million for high quality pre- kindergarten;
    - Continues funding at current levels for Communities in Schools;
    - Includes $5 million for Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH), a new program designed to help students pursue careers in technology;
    - Provides $10 million to support Education Commissioner initiatives

14. Vouchers/Education Savings Grants
HJR 24 Raymond, Richard(D)
Proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the authorization or funding of an elementary or secondary education voucher program.
The resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that prohibits the authorization or funding of an elementary or secondary education voucher program.
Effective date: The amendment will be submitted to voters on an election on November 7, 2017.

15. BILLS FILED BY OUR REPS:
Jeff Leach –
HB 615 – Relating to removal of requirements for grade-level promotion that are based on satisfactory performance on state assessment instruments
HB 617 – Relating to the inclusion of American principles in the public school curriculum and instructional materials
HB 620 – Relating to first day of instruction at public school (changes “may not begin instruction before the 4th week to the 2nd week of August)

16. BILLS FILED BY OUR REPS:
Van Taylor
SB 338 – Relating to the first day of the school year for public schools (deletes restriction for exemption; tax free dates 3rd Friday in Aug-Sun)
SJR 24 - Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for certain excess revenue to be dedicated toward contributions to state retirement systems, the health benefit plan for retired education employees and their dependents, the Texas tomorrow fund, the permanent school fund, and the permanent university fund.

17. ASSESSMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY
Individual Graduation Committees SB. 463 & HB 966 allowing pathway to graduation for student who fail EOC but pass courses
Special Ed Student Performance
ELL, Bilingual & ESL Performance & Accountability
Special Education Identification/Monitoring
Texas Success Initiative Repeal
Limiting state required assessments to those required by federal law

18. ASSESSMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY
HB 515, HB 546, SB 215
STAAR Testing – Advocates for reduced emphasis on state-mandated testing, focusing on grades 3-8 and changes to STAAR for high school students; limits on benchmark testing for all tested grades.

19. CHOICE
Prohibit authorization or funding of elementary or secondary education voucher program (Constitutional Amendment HJR 24, Van Taylor)
ALERT
Expect announcement from Lt. Gov. Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott tomorrow (1/24) during a rally for National School Choice Week:
Proposal for education savings accounts that will give parents grants — loaded onto debit cards — which they may spend on state-approved, education-related expenses including private school tuition.

20. CURRICULUM & PROGRAMS Endorsements for Special Education students
Providing free full-day prekindergarten for 4 yr olds
Voter education program for high school seniors
Allow Comp Ed allotment to be used for school guidance & counseling
Removal of requirement for bilingual and special language programs for ELL students
Requiring instruction regarding interaction with peace officers in 9th grade curriculum

21. CURRICULUM & PROGRAMS
Eliminating certain state-required assessment instruments and certain end-of-course assessment instruments not required by federal law (HB 515, HB 546)
Relating to a revision of the essential knowledge and skills of the public school foundation curriculum and proclamations for the production of instructional materials

22. DISCIPLINE
Related to requirements to strengthen district’s policy on bullying, including cyberbullying; allows bullies to be removed from class, placed in DAEP or expelled. (HB 304, HB 305, HB 306,SB 179, SB 180, 181)
Age of adult criminal responsibility- raise age for mandatory prosecution as an adult from 17 to 18 allowing non-violent offenders to be charged as a minor (HB 676 Wu, HB 122 Dutton)

23. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
HB 196 Gonzales, Mary, HB 710 Wu; SB 35 Zaffirini
Greatly expands pre-kindergarten offerings. Sections (a-1), (b), (c) and (f): A school district must offer free pre-kindergarten if the school district has any children that are four years of age (not 15 children, as the statute currently provides). This amendment also states that children who are at least four years of age are eligible for the optional pre-kindergarten program offered to three-year-olds who fit one of the six categories identified in the current section
Section (c) is amended to provide that pre- kindergarten will be full-day instead of half-day.
Offers free prekindergarten to children of a peace officer, firefighter or emergency first responder seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.

24. FACILITIES & TRANSPORTATION
Requires students to wear seatbelt if bus is equipped

25. FINANCE Raises basic allotment to:
$5,800 = 12.8% increase;
$ 5,140
Raises bilingual education allotment weight to from current weight of 0.10
Extends ASATR through
Requires state to pay at least 50% of cost of public finance system.

26. PERSONNEL, CERTIFICATION & P.D.
Limits counselors’ non-counseling duties.
Sets average ratio of 10:1 in prekindergarten class.
Relating to prosecution of improper relationship between educator and student
Establishes minimum wage:
$15/ hour
$10/hour

27. PROPERTY TAX
Limits maximum appraised value of real property for ad valorem tax purposes of 105% of appraised value for previous year (Constitutional amendment (HJR 17, 34, 35,19,

28. RETIREMENT & BENEFITS
Creates an annual cost of living increase to benefits paid by TRS.
Establishes a one-time supplemental payment to TRS recipients.
Requires the state to contribute to TRS an amount equal to at least 7 and not more than 10 percent of the aggregate compensation for all members.
Excess revenue in rainy day fund to be used as contribution for ERS, TRS, Texas Tomorrow, permanent school fund (Constitutional Amend. SJR 24).

29. TECHNOLOGY, TEXTBOOKS & IMA
Requires publishers to provide free copies of materials in electronic form.
Allows school districts to use IMA funds to cover salary and expenses of staff

30. DISTRICT OF INNOVATION
HB 426 Requires parental notification of class sizes at public schools in district of innovation
HB 633 Relating to applicability of student disciplinary requirements to school districts of innovation –
Mary Gonzalez, Author

31. IMPORTANT DATES January 10 - First Day of Session
March 10 – Last day to file bills
May 29 – Sine die – Last day of Session
June 18 – Deadline for governor veto
March – Collin County Days in Austin

32. Dr. Maroba Zoeller Chief Governmental Relations Officer (P) 972-236-0618 maroba_zoeller@allenisd.org