TAMS Legislative Update

May 21, 2003

This legislative session is living up to its billing of attempting to bring major changes to the Texas School Finance System.  Thus far TAMS has been successful protecting our top priority, the TAMS mid-size district adjustment.  For the second straight session, TAMS leadership had to resurrect our mid-size adjustment from the dead (HB 5 before it was amended).  Now, we must be vigilant for the rest of this session and the called session to keep it from being killed again.  Just because HB 5 was amended doesn’t mean that the rest of it is good for us; however, under the circumstances, we supported the HB 5 Engrossed Version as a stop gap measure.  The $20 million to offset the loss by using ADA rather than WADA does help, but does not make up for all of the loss.  CSHB 5 was substituted for SB 2 out of the Senate.  The House refused to concur in the Senate amendments, and the bill was returned from the House to the Senate for further action.  HB 5 was then merged with CSHB 3459, which we are still studying and urge you to review the bill immediately since it looks like it could be the final school finance bill and is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Finance Committee tomorrow!  Thanks in large part to Rep. Bob Griggs, Bill Grusendorf, and Wayne Pierce, CSHB 3459 does include our mid-size formula.    With less than two weeks left in the session, everything is on a fast track and changing daily if not hourly, so I encourage you to go to http://www.midsizeschools.org/legislativeinfo.html for the latest legislative news. 

The following is a list of some of the bills supported or opposed by TAMS.

HB 3171 by Representative Pitts – relating to reducing compliance monitoring by the TEA

This was one of our legislative agenda items, so TAMS was actively involved in developing and supporting the provisions of HB 3171 that would remove state programs from compliance review.  The bill would limit compliance monitoring only to activities necessary to comply with federal law or regulations; to ensure financial accountability; and to ensure data integrity for the purposes of the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and the state's accountability system.

DEC would be reduced to federal programs only.  Superintendents across the state, as well as many educational organizations, are in strong support of streamlining the compliance monitoring system to make it less intrusive and more focused on federally funded programs.  House Bill 3171 is still in the House Education Committee. 

SB 352 by Senator Wentworth and HB 250 by Representative Jones – relating to the small and mid-size district adjustment

TAMS provided requested statistical data to Senator Wentworth for SB 352, which includes Chapter 41 districts in the TAMS formula.  As he has done for the last four legislative sessions, Jerry Christian, Superintendent of Alamo Heights and TAMS charter member, assisted both Senator Wentworth and Representative Jones in the development of their bills. Jerry also very ably represented Chapter 41 TAMS districts by providing support to Senator Wentworth as he laid out the bill and by his excellent testimony to the Senate Education Committee.  HB 250 never came to a hearing in the House Public Education Committee.  SB 352 is currently in the Senate Education Committee and will likely die there.

SB 929 by Senator Shapiro – relating to regional education service centers

TAMS actively opposes bills that would reduce the level of services offered by the region service centers due to decreased state funding or bills that would increase the cost of such services to member districts.  One such bill is SB 929.  The loss of training and technical assistance would have an inevitable negative impact especially on mid-size and small districts that depend on the service centers to provide affordable services and services that may not be available in the marketplace.  SB 929 has passed the Senate and at this writing was scheduled to be heard in the House Public Education Committee on May 20.

SB 671 by Senator Staples – relating to the determination of school district property values and the accountability of appraisal district operations

TAMS has been working for the passage of SB 671.  Thanks go to Senator Staples for filing this bill which provides relief for districts that are faced with the state not accepting local values.  SB 671 requires the comptroller to substitute local value for state value for an eligible district (district that did not receive local value) and requires local value to represent taxable value in the annual study for that year.  The comptroller within those 12 months of substitution of local value for state value is to complete an appraisal standards review of the appraisal district that appraises property for the school district.  This bill provides a year’s reprieve against a loss of state funds AND holds the appraisal district accountable.  The Senate passed SB 671, and it was voted out of the House Ways & Means Committee Monday with no amendments.

HB 430 by Representative Riddle – relating to service of public school superintendents, principals, assistant principals and other senior administrators as substitute teachers

TAMS opposes HB 430 because of the requirement that all superintendents, principals, assistant principals and other senior administrators serve as substitute teachers at least two days during each school year.  What is the intent of this bill?  Will students benefit from this bill?  Will learning be enhanced?  Because there are many unanswered questions, TAMS cannot support this bill.  HB 430 is currently in the House Calendars Committee.

HB 3382 by Representative Merritt – relating to public school finance

HB 3382 had the possibility of gaining some attention.  This bill had the strong backing of Albert Huddleston.  The research for this bill was a proposal prepared by Dr. Caroline M. Hoxby, Professor of Economics, Harvard University.  HB 3382 did not contain any diseconomy of scale adjustments except for a very small facilities adjustment for small districts.  Our concerns were met with “let us take a look and get back with you.”  We may see this bill again after this session or at least some influence on the final product.  It is currently left pending in the House Public Education Committee.

HB 2465 by Representative Grusendorf – relating to an education freedom pilot program

The subject of vouchers again raised its head with arms outstretched begging for the influx of taxpayer’s money to the private sector.  And again TAMS stood tall in opposing any such use of public taxpayer funds.  TAMS joined hands with The Coalition for Public Education and 35 other opponents who attended, testified or otherwise opposed public funds being used to support private and/or religious schools or their students.  HB 2465 remains in the House Calendars Committee.

SB 933 by Senator Shapiro and HB 1554 by Representative Grusendorf – relating to a virtual charter school administered by a public senior college or a university

TAMS opposes HB 1554 and SB 933.  Under these bills, home schooled students and students in private and religious schools could enroll part-time or full-time in the new virtual charter schools with all costs paid by the taxpayers.  The bills require taxpayers to pay for the lease or purchase of a computer and a printer to loan to each student.  The district would be required to ship the computer and printer to the home school or private school, as well as reimburse with public funds the cost of each charter school student’s monthly internet connection.  That’s not all, but it’s enough for this update.  SB 933 is currently in the House Public Education Committee and at this writing was set to be heard on May 20.  HB 1554 was approved by the House Public Education Committee, but failed to get enough votes for passage on the House floor.

HB 318 by Representative Grusendorf and HB 2723 by Representative Gutierrez – relating to certification to teach school and alternative teacher certification

TAMS supports HB 318 and HB 2723.  HB 318 amends the Education Code to authorize the State Board for Educator Certification to issue a teaching certificate to a person who holds a bachelor’s degree in one or more academic majors and passes the appropriate certification examination.  HB 2723 amends the Education Code to authorize the State Board of Educator Certification to issue a teaching certificate to a person who holds a master’s degree or higher education degree which was received with an academic major area of study or interdisciplinary academic major area of study that is related to one area of middle or secondary school curriculum.  Due to the restrictive certification requirements in present law, Texas Schools have been unable to access a tremendous instructional resource from the private sector.  At this writing HB 318 has been approved by the House and was scheduled to be heard by the Senate Education Committee on May 20.  HB 2723 has been approved by the House, sent to the Senate Education Committee, but not yet heard.

Public School Employee’s Health Insurance

The reduction in state contributions for the public school employee’s health insurance program is a major item on TAMS opposition list.  TRS-CARE insurance premium cost and reduction of retiree benefits also raised the eyebrows of our leadership (especially the older, I mean more mature members).  As could be expected, the reduction of state contributions to the TRS component shifts the financial burden to local districts, employees and retirees.  TAMS pointed out that no other state employee is having his/her benefits reduced or taken way.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for contributing to our legislative success thus far via emails, telephone calls, letters, testimony, and being present at hearings to support or oppose our legislation.  A special thank to our officers and senate district directors for their vigilance.  Whenever you name people you run the risk of leaving someone out, but you should know that we could not have achieved our goals without the help of Vice Presidents Nancy Fuller and Larry Appel, Past President Ken McCraw, Charter Member Jerry Christian, Executive Director of TARS Bill Grusendorf, Executive Director of the Equity Center Wayne Pierce, Rep. Bob Griggs, and our Legislative Advocate Denny Crow.  I am most appreciative and grateful to all of you.  Please watch for further emails.  If we need last-minute assistance, I will send an urgent email!