Publications: SAC Legislative Bulletin

SAC Legislative Bulletin

March 22, 2006

SAC Legislative Bulletin

The official legislative newsletter for the School Administrators Coalition (SAC) which includes

MASA, MAESP, MASSP, MO-CASE, MUSIC, MO K-8, MARE, MSHSAA, & MAPT

For a complete listing of bill summaries that impact education go to
http://www.mcsa.org/reference

If you can not access this link, simply copy and paste the above address in your browser.

HB 1783

TUITION TAX CREDITS

(URGENT)

Following lengthy testimony on Monday, March 13 by both proponents and opponents of the bill, HB 1783 was incorporated into a substitute bill (HCS for HBs 1783 and 1479) and voted out of committee by a 7 to 3 vote. Subsequently, the bill has been approved by the House Rules Committee and placed on the House Perfection Calendar for floor debate by the full House of Representatives. This means that the bill can be taken up by the House anytime during the coming week (March 27-31) when the General Assembly returns from spring break.

For the public schools, defeating this bill is crucial. It is extremely important that school administrators utilize this week to encourage teacher leaders, board members, PTA and other community leaders to have numerous contacts made with their state representative encouraging him/her to vote "no" on HCS for HBs 1783 and 1479. Please act this week.

HCS for HBs 1783 and 1479 represents a major effort to legitimize the appropriation of public funds for private delivery of education services. For additional information about the bill and talking points, click on the MCSA reference link above.

SCHOOL START DATE

SB 1114, sponsored by Sen. Jack Goodman, was heard in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, March 15. The bill would prohibit school districts from starting school before the Friday before the last Monday in August unless an earlier date is approved by a vote of the people. In order for school district patrons to vote on an earlier date, a petition signed by a number equal to five percent of the voters in the last gubernatorial election would have to be approved by the county election official.

The School Administrators Coalition (SAC) testified in opposition to SB 1114 for the following reasons:

1. The bill removes control of the school calendar from the authority of locally elected board members who have the most information about school events and community wishes related to school events.

2. The bill would make it difficult for school districts to complete the first semester prior to the Christmas holiday season and, thereby, could place a gap in continuity between course instruction and final semester testing of students.

3. SAC does not accept the argument that state tourism revenues are reduced due to early school starting dates.

4. All starting date restrictions for school districts were just repealed by the General Assembly in 2003.

School administrators are urged to contact their state senator and to ask him/her to oppose SB 1114.

A companion bill, HB 1933, has been filed by Rep. Bearden in the House of Representatives.

TAX INCREMENT FINANCING

HCS HB 1070, sponsored by Rep. Johnson, was given final approval by the House on March 9 and sent to the Senate. The bill, as perfected in the House, would 1) redefine the term "blighted area" by setting forth criteria that must be met to establish blight; 2) restrict the use of tax increment financing for vacant land; 3) redefine the term conservation area; 4) require that real property tax revenues attributable to the residential portion of a development pass through directly to the affected school districts unless commission members representing the affected districts agree to forego the revenue; 5) require a super majority vote to proceed with a project if the tax increment financing commission makes a negative recommendation or a percentage of registered voters request reconsideration of the decision to proceed with the project.

The criteria for establishing blight are identified in the bill as: dilapidated conditions; obsolescent conditions; deterioration of structures; existing structures not meeting zoning regulations, subdivision, building, fire and other governmental codes; existing structures are used for illegal purposes; existing structures being unoccupied or underused and represent an adverse influence in the area; existing structures lack proper ventilation, light or sanitary facilities; existing structures have inadequate utilities; excessive land coverage and overcrowding of existing structures and facilities; deleterious land use or layout; using an area that has been designated an environmental clean-up area; lack of community planning; and declining equalized assessed valuation for two of the last five calendar years or increasing equalized assessed value has increased at an annual rate less than the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

SUMMER SCHOOL PENALTY

SB 644, sponsored by Sen. Shields, was approved by the Senate and referred to the House where it was twice read and on March 16, was referred to the House Special Committee on Student Achievement and Finance where a hearing will be conducted. The bill would essentially phase out the summer school penalty as reliance upon the new formula is phased in. The bill does not address the current summer school penalty. The bill was amended on the Senate floor to allow school districts to transport students living within one mile of the school without being subjected to an administrative penalty as is current law when the districts demonstrate that the students are required to cross a state highway or county arterial without sidewalks, traffic signals or a crossing guard, and further amended to allow school districts to recoup for revenues lost due to decreases in fine receipts.

HCS HB 1273 and 1136, sponsored by Rep. Baker and Rep. Ervin, is on the House calendar for debate, after which time the bill will be sent to the Senate if the full House approves the bill. The bill would eliminate the summer school penalty enacted last session and would modify the gifted penalty for reductions in gifted enrollment greater than forty percent. The bill would also require school districts to identify gifted students as currently required by MSIP standards.

MISSOURI SCIENCE EDUCATION ACT

HB 1266 sponsored by Rep. Wayne Cooper was heard in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee during the week of March 13-16 and voted out of committee during executive session. The bill would establish the Missouri Science Education Act and would require science instruction in grades six through twelve to comply with "best practices" within five years of the passage of the bill. The Act defines "verified empirical data" and "substantive amount" and specifies that information appearing to be verified empirical data must be separately identified if it has not, in fact, been verified. The Act, also, specifies that information representing scientific thought such as theory, hypothesis, extrapolation, and estimation must be distinguished from verified empirical data and may be presented in the light of critical analysis. Critical analysis may discuss problems such as faulty logic, alternate explanations, or conflicting experiments and must be used when teaching a theory of biological origin or current scientific theory that deals with prehistory or the future. Under HB 1266, state assessments would have to comply with the bill.

The School Administrators Coalition (SAC) has no legislative platform position, currently, on HB 1266 but has concerns about legislation that directly specifies curriculum practices for the public schools.

BUDGET

The House approved HCS HB 1002, the budget for Elementary & Secondary Education, before commencing the legislative break. The House Budget includes the following funding increases as recommended by the governor: 1) $122 million to fund the first year of the new formula phase-in; 2) $15 million to fund the small schools add-on that was included in the new formula legislation; 3) $6 million to fund the states High Needs Fund; 4) a one million dollar increase for the Parents As Teachers Program; 5) a $1.8 million increase for the A+ School Program and 6) level funding for transportation and MOREnet.

The House budget will now be sent to the Senate for action.

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The Senate Education Committee met on Tuesday, March 14, and heard four bills of interest to the public schools. These were 1) SB 1114 sponsored by Sen. Goodman which would reimpose a restriction on school districts regarding the starting date for the school year (see separate article). The School Administrators Coalition is strongly opposed to SB 1114; 2) SB 937 sponsored by Sen. Nodler which would revise the Missouri Advisory Council of Certification for Educators(MACCE) and rename it the Commissioners Advisory Council; 3) SB 1085 sponsored by Sen. Kennedy which would allow students to carry and self-administer life-saving anaphylactic medication and 4) SB 1190 sponsored by Sen. Loudon which would clarify that colleges and universities located in the St. Louis metropolitan area are only authorized to sponsor charter schools located in St. Louis City.

Executive Committee Action: In executive committee, SB 1085 was approved for placement on the Senate Consent Calendar. Additionally, SB 1190 and SJR 31 were approved for placement on the regular Senate Perfection Calendar. SJR 31 would allow a measure to be placed on a statewide ballot asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment to increase the bonded indebtedness limit for school districts from fifteen percent of assessed valuation to twenty percent. This measure is a priority item in the SAC Legislative Platform.