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| SPONSOR: | Lopez | DATE TYPED: | 02/09/99 | HB | |||
| SHORT TITLE: | Alternative School Size Adjustment | SB | 176 | ||||
| ANALYST: | Fernandez | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY99 | FY2000 | FY99 | FY2000 | ||
| $ 5,300.0 | Recurring | GF | |||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates HB 242
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
State Department of Public Education (SDE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 176 proposes to amend the Public School Finance Act to allow alternative schools approved by the State Department of Public Education to generate additional program units. The bill appropriates $5,300.0 to cover the costs of the additional units.
Significant Issues
According to SDE, alternative schools serve the needs of many at-risk students who do not respond to traditional school settings.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
This bill appropriates $5,300.0 from the general fund to SDE for expenditure in fiscal year 2000 to fund additional program units generated by alternative schools size adjustment program units. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund.
According to SDE, in 1998-99 districts reported enrollments at 18 approved alternative schools. These schools would have generated approximately 2,268.166 size adjustment units and using the current unit value of $2,344.09 would have received an additional $5,316.8 in funding. (See attachment).
DUPLICATION
This bill duplicates HB 242.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
In 1977, the Legislature passed several bills clarifying provisions of the public school funding formula. Separate schools for kindergarten, vocational education or alternative education were prohibited from generating size adjustment units.
During the 1997 Legislature, changes were made to the public school funding formula to include an at-risk factor. The factor was created to provide funding for programs and services for at-risk youth. School districts are required to provide locally developed programs and services for at-risk youth, one of which maybe the funding of alternative schools.
CTF/gm
Attachment