Honorable Harold V. Dutton, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB244 by González, Mary (Relating to the establishment of a grant program for promoting computer science certification and professional development in coding, technology applications, and computer science for public school teachers.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB244, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($1,791,136) through the biennium ending August 31, 2023.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2022
($897,568)
2023
($893,568)
2024
($893,568)
2025
($893,568)
2026
($893,568)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2021
2022
($897,568)
1.0
2023
($893,568)
1.0
2024
($893,568)
1.0
2025
($893,568)
1.0
2026
($893,568)
1.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill's provisions would establish a grant program to promote computer science certification and professional development in coding, technology applications, and computer science for public school teachers.
Methodology
The bill's provisions would require the Commissioner of Education to allocate appropriated grant funds to eligible providers that offer professional development for elementary school and middle and junior high school teachers to ensure teachers maintain a working knowledge of current computer industry standard tools and resources and training for computer science certification for teachers in accordance with certification requirements adopted by the State Board of Educator Certification.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will facilitate a competitive solicitation to award grant funds to eligible providers. TEA estimates professional development for elementary school and middle and junior high school teachers to be $446,310 for multiple, separate, one-day trainings. This covers the cost of training materials, space, and trainer's time. This is based on the 1,653 technology applications teachers participating in one of the single-day trainings provided at $270 per teacher. For educators participating in training for computer science certification, it would cost approximately $1,800 per educator for a 40-hour training. If 10 teachers participated from each education service center region, the total would be $360,000 ($1,800 * 20 * 10). The total estimate for the two types of professional development offerings for the number of participants indicated above is $806,310 annually.
TEA estimates one Education Specialist III FTE would be needed to develop criteria and rules for grant eligibility, administer the grant process, monitor the grant, provide technical assistance to educators and providers, and collect and report data related to the grant at an annual salary of $63,616. Benefits would be $20,688 and payroll contributions would be $954 annually. Other operating expenses would be $6,000 in FY 2022 and $2,000 in subsequent years.
The total amount of grants awarded may not exceed $4 million per biennium.
Local Government Impact
As a result of the bill's provisions, institutions of higher education, regional education service centers, and/or school districts or partnership of multiple school districts could receive grant funding.