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COMMITTEE ACTION:
SF 159 – Vouchers, Charter Schools, Omnibus Education Bill
SF 159 is a Governor’s proposal that addresses vouchers, charter schools, elimination of diversity plans, expanding uses of teacher salary funding, eliminating 90-day athletic eligibility rules, and various student data and tax-credit measures. The following are the main divisions of this bill:
- Vouchers/ “Student Scholarships”: Students in all grades are eligible if attending a “school identified for comprehensive support and improvement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act,” which are those in lowest 5% of Title I schools. There are currently 34 schools on this list. The estimated cost for all eligible students would be $54 million. The Governor proposed funding at $3 million, which would cover 567 students in 34 schools across the state. The unspent funds may be rolled over year to year for a student’s higher ed expenses until age 23. The bill explicitly states that the state and local schools may not require a nonpublic school to modify its academic standards to receive payment from parents/guardians under this fund.
- Charter School Expansion: Allows a “founding group” to apply for a charter, independent of public-school agreement. A charter could be within an existing school, or an entire school could convert to a charter. The bill exempts charters from most state statutes, rules and local regulation or policy applicable to a public school, except for federal and state health and safety laws prohibiting discrimination. Districts must pay to the charter school the total state cost per pupil, TLC and ELL weighting.
- Open Enrollment: Eliminates the 90-day waiting period for athletic eligibility when a student open enrolls. The bill also expands open enrollment options for districts identified in “significant need of improvement” and requires a receiving district to send school vehicles into a contiguous district.
- Eliminates Local Voluntary Diversity Plans: Eliminates ability of a school district with a voluntary diversity plan to deny an open enrollment request.
- Student Data, Program Standards and Funding: Requires a new statewide system for student records. It allows the teacher salary supplement to be used for other things if salary obligations are met. It allows the transfer of teacher leadership funds to the General Fund if all obligations are met.
- Education Tax Credits and Deductions: Doubles the maximum amount a taxpayer may deduct from $250 to $500. The bill increases the tuition and textbook tax credit to apply to homeschool expenses, doubles the amount of the tax credits and doubles the amount of allowed expenses.
[1/27: 13-8, party-line]