S.642, filed April 23 is a concurrent resolution to encourage school districts to avail themselves of all available energy efficient incentives and rebates provided by local utilities; H.4017, filed April 24 would enact the Step Incentive for Successful Teachers in Low-performing Schools study committee; H.4020, filed April 24 is a joint resolution to reauthorize the SC First Steps to School Readiness Act until July 1, 2014; H.4021, filed April 24 establishes Water Safety Awareness Month and encourages school districts to provide at least one hour of water safety instruction during May; H.4061, filed April 30 to include age-appropriate instruction in sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention as part of the Comprehensive Health Education Program; S.666, filed April 30 would require the Darlington County School Board to submit a proposed budget increase to the county’s voters for approval; H.4072, filed April 30 concerns contracts for transportation services between a county school board and a private contractor; H.4088 filed May 2 would enact the Education Maximum Act or Edumax Act to, among other things, allow a parent under certain circumstances to enroll their child in another school district where the child would be better suited; and H.4094, filed May 2 concerns exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Senate Finance completes budget proposal
Following a marathon week of meetings, the Senate Finance Committee on May 3 finalized its $6 billion spending proposal for fiscal year 2013-2014 (H.3710). The proposed Education Finance Act (EFA) base student cost (BSC) mirrors the amount adopted by the House at $2,101, which is well below the statutorily required amount of $2,771.The House will be on furlough May 7-9 and return to Columbia May 14.
The budget
The Senate Finance Committee’s plan includes some $22 million to phase-in an expansion of the state’s 4-year-old kindergarten program, known as Child Development Education Program (CDEP), to all at-risk children statewide. The additional funding is tied to Senate bill S.134 (see below). In addition, $1.5 million is included in the general fund for summer reading camps, which are part of the proposed Read to Succeed bill (S.516).
Provisos of note in the committee’s plan are as follows:
- A new proviso authorizes school districts to sell or lease district property without having to obtain approval of a county board or county governing body. Also, Gov. Haley signed into law May 3 a joint resolution to authorize school districts for the current fiscal year to sell or lease district property without county board or county council approval (S.10).
- Proviso 1.49, which prohibits advertisements on school buses, was amended to apply to only state-owned buses. A new proviso specifically allows districts to sell commercial advertising space on the outside or inside of district-owned activity buses.
- A new proviso allows districts to uniformly negotiate salaries below the school district salary schedule for the 2013-2014 school year for retired teachers who are not TERI participants.
- A new proviso establishes a state fund as well as a process for districts to request specific digital instructional materials be reviewed by the State Board of Education for inclusion on an approved list. The proviso also includes a timeline and a formula for allocation of funds. After a certain time, any remaining funds will be distributed to districts that did not request any digital materials to help them prepare for the use of such materials.
- Proviso 1A.43 regarding teacher salaries, projects the Southeastern average teacher salary at $48,858 for the next fiscal year. Districts will be required to fund at least one teacher salary step increase.
A joint resolution allowing districts to uniformly negotiate the salaries of retired teachers who are not TERI participants (H.3453) was ratified May 2 and signed by Gov. Haley on May 3. The salary negotiation part of the joint resolution is also a budget proviso adopted by Senate Finance.
Miscellaneous House
- A bill to change the high school exit exam so that a student’s score may not be used as a criterion for graduation (H.3919) has passed the House and is in the Senate Education Committee. The bill includes the creation of a High School Assessment Study Committee to consider:
- whether the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) test should remain the state’s accountability test or replaced with a different assessment;
- suggest an alternative assessment if the committee determines that the HSAP should be replaced; and,
- review costs associated with changing the assessments.
- A bill to require legislative approval of all new state academic standards and assessments (H.3893) is on the House contested calendar and failed to make the May 1 crossover deadline.
Miscellaneous Senate
The Senate Education K-12 Subcommittee met May 1 and gave favorable reports to bills that would do the following:
- require districts to adopt policies and procedures based on guidelines and policies developed by the State Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), in consultation with the State Department of Education, for identifying and managing suspected concussions in student athletes (H.3061)
- require high schools to provide students, beginning in 2015-2016, hands-on instruction in CPR as well as instruction on the use of automated external defibrillators (AED) at least once as part of the state’s Health and Safety Education Curriculum Standards (S.160). (School districts would have to adopt policies providing a waiver for students absent on the day instruction occurs, students with disabilities who cannot complete the instruction, and students whose parents request that they be opted-out of the instruction.)
- allow school districts, among other things, to obtain stock supplies of epinephrine auto-injectors for schools for use in certain circumstances and require participating districts to develop plans for the management of students with life-threatening allergies to include individualized health care plans (H.3725)
- phase-in an expansion of the state’s 4-year-old kindergarten program (S.134) as follows:
- districts that participated in the trial for the Abbeville school funding case
- plaintiff districts in the lawsuit
- to at-risk children statewide
These bill are expected to be in front of the full Senate Education Committee the week of May 6.
voucher/tuition tax credit bill hearing set for Monday in Columbia
A special Senate subcommittee organized to study and make recommendations on a legislative proposal to offer vouchers, tax credits and tax deductions for students to attend private and home schools (S.279) is set to meet in Columbia in room 105 of the Gressette Building at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 13.
SCSBA resolutions due June 28
The deadline for school boards to submit proposed resolutions to SCSBA is set for June 28. SCSBA communicates and advocates the perspective of locally elected and appointed school boards throughout the state. To guide the association’s advocacy efforts, delegates from boards governing school districts statewide annually vote on priorities and beliefs submitted by member boards and staff. Resolutions adopted by delegates help SCSBA officers and staff to address various policy and legislative issues related to public education that arise during the year.
Scott Price, SCSBA General Counsel
South Carolina School Boards Association
111 Research Drive
Columbia, SC 29203
800.326.3679
scsba.org