SF 2018 – Instruction Hours and Days Technical Fix
SSB 3105 – FY16 Allowable Growth
SSB 3106 – FY16 Categorical Allowable Growth
SSB 3107 – Property Tax Relief in School Aid Formula
COMMITTEE ACTION:
SF 2018 provides technical fixes to legislation approved last year that dealt with public schools and a choice to set their calendars in either hours or days. The bill defines a school day as six hours (1080 hours total) but clarifies that a district may have fewer hours on any given day in these instances:
- Late arrival or early dismissal due to emergency health or safety factors;
- Total instructional time for five consecutive days equals at least 30 hours even if any one day is less than six hours (due to staff development or parent-teacher conferences);
- A district records zero instructional time on the fifth day if the previous four consecutive days total 30 hours. [1/27: Short Form]
SSB 3105 sets the FY16 allowable growth rate (basic school aid) for schools at 6 percent. This establishes a total cost per pupil of $6,748. An increase of 6 percent allowable growth in FY16 will cost the state $3.1 billion, an increase of $382 million over FY15. [1/29: 9-6 (party-line)]
SSB 3106 sets the FY16 categorical allowable growth for schools at 6 percent. The FY16 allowable growth rate for each of the State Categorical Supplements (Teacher Compensation, Professional Development, and Early Intervention) totals $362.7 million, an increase of $20.9 million compared to the FY15 amount. Funding amounts for each initiative include:
- Teacher Compensation Supplement at $294.8 million, an increase of $17 million.
- Professional Development Supplement at $33.5 million, an increase of $1.9 million.
- Early Intervention Supplement (Class Size) at $34.4 million, an increase of $2 million. [1/29: 9-6 (party-line)]
SSB 3107 provides for the state to pick up the incremental increase in property taxes associated with 6 percent state supplemental aid for FY16. This totals $26.3 million in property tax relief. The bill would limit the “second effort” property tax portion to $750 per pupil through FY16. The amount is based on the cost per pupil level of $6,001 for FY13. Without this bill, under a 6 percent growth rate, property taxes would increase $47 per pupil to $797. Schools will get a 6 percent increase per pupil, but local taxpayers in each district won’t be paying the increase. [2/29: 15-0]