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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Nava

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

01/31/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Dona Ana Academic & Behavioral Support

SB 411

ANALYST Escudero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$350.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 411 appropriates $350.0 from the general fund to the Public Education Department

(PED) for academic, behavioral and social support services in public schools in Dona Ana

County in fiscal year 2009.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $350.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY09 shall revert to the general

fund.

This proposed appropriation would require PED to establish a special legislative projects appro-

priation budget, develop a request for information packet to be completed by the public schools

affected by the funding, monitor the use of funds, review and approve district cash requests, and

submit cash requests for payment. It is estimated that it would take 40 hours of an Education

Administrator’s time to accomplish this (40hrs x 25.50 + 30% = $1.

3)

Senate Bill 411 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to PED, the relationship between academic success and health, including behavioral

health, has been established through research.

The academic success of America’s youth is strongly linked with their health.

Health-related factors such as hunger, physical and emotional abuse, and chronic illness can lead

to poor school performance. Health-risk behaviors such as substance use, violence and physical

inactivity are consistently linked to academic failure, and often affect students' school atten-

dance, grades, test scores, and ability to pay attention in class.

In turn, academic success is an excellent indicator for the overall well-being of youth and a pri-

mary predictor and determinant of adult health outcomes. Leading national education organiza-

tions recognize the close relationship between health and education, as well as the need to embed

health into the educational environment for all students (CDC DASH). Students using school-

based mental health services have higher graduation rates and less absenteeism and tardiness

(McCord and Gall).

Social support has also been shown to have positive educational effects. Parent involvement,

social skills training for students and teacher training to create a healthy school environment re-

sulted in better graduation rates and better grades (Hawkins).

Currently, the three school districts in this county have 50% or more of their schools in some

status as Schools in Need of Improvement based on not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress for

one or more years. Student groups that most often miss AYP in these schools are special educa-

tion students,

English Language Learner students and students who fall within the Free and Reduced Lunch

category. Current research describes these groups of students as populating a segment of the pub-

lic school population that struggles to achieve because they enter the educational setting with a

diversity of school readiness and availability to resources. Academic success can be realized by

these students when the variables of time and additional intensive training are provided. This can

only be realized through additional resources.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

This proposed appropriation would require PED to establish a special legislative projects appro-

priation budget, develop a request for information packet to be completed by the public schools

affected by the funding, monitor the use of funds, review and approve district cash requests, and

submit cash requests for payment. PED can accomplish this with existing staff.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Needed academic, behavioral and social support services will not be provided in Dona Ana

County schools. In addition, there are 9 schools in these 3 districts that receive intensive PED

attention, with a potential 20 additional schools that may enter the range of intensive intervention

during the 08-09 school years. Without this funding there would not be these additional re-

sources.

PME/nt