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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Arnold-Jones
DATE TYPED 02/11/05 HB HM 15
SHORT TITLE Use of Professional for School Computers
SB
ANALYST Chabot
APPROPRIATION
Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY05
FY06
FY05
FY06
See Narrative
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to HB 511
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Office of Information Technology Management (OITM)
Public Education Department (PED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Memorial 15 resolves PED study the feasibility of including network administrators and
other information technology professionals as a category of instructional support providers, and
report the findings to the Legislative Education Study Committee prior to the 2006 session.
Significant Issues
PED assess “the human aspect of infrastructure is often the ‘weakest link’ in educational tech-
nology. Access to professional-level IT resources is essential to business and government in the
21
st
century, and no less important to education. However, IT professionals are more highly
compensated in both business and government than public school pay schedules allow, which
have made it a challenge to recruit and retain skilled IT professionals within schools.”
pg_0002
House Memorial 15 -- Page 2
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
PED states the cost of such a study will be $55 thousand and neither the agency nor the school
districts can absorb the cost. Classification of IT professionals as a category of instructional
support providers could open access to new areas of school budgets but funding would probably
come from decreases in other employment categories.
ALTERNATIVES
PED suggests the Council on Technology in Education be tasked for this study and be allowed to
use Educational Technology Funds for related costs.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.
School districts will continue to hire IT personnel using existing employment procedures.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
What are the benefits of classifying IT personnel as instructional support providers.
GAC/sb