Honorable Larry Taylor, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1716 by Taylor (Relating to a supplemental special education services and instructional materials program for certain public school students receiving special education services.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1716, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($1,125,596,553) 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
($544,695,127)
2023
($580,901,426)
2024
($619,428,862)
2025
($660,574,674)
2026
($704,454,673)
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
($544,695,127)
2.0
2023
($580,901,426)
2.0
2024
($619,428,862)
2.0
2025
($660,574,674)
2.0
2026
($704,454,673)
2.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to establish a supplemental special education services and instructional materials program. The program would be for students enrolled at a school district or open-enrollment charter schools who are enrolled in a special education program. Through the program, the agency would provide up to $1,500 to purchase supplemental special education services and supplemental special education instructional materials. The bill would require the agency to maintain a system of online accounts to provide access to the credit and would require the agency to establish an application system to allow parents to apply for the program.
The bill would define "supplemental special education instructional materials" to include textbooks, computer hardware or software, other technological devices, and other materials suitable for addressing an educational need of a student receiving special education services. The bill would define "supplemental special education services" as a service or therapy that addresses an educational need of a student receiving special education services.
Methodology
In the 2020-21 school year, which corresponds to fiscal year 2021, there were 605,043 students who received special education services in Texas. Between the 2018-19 school year and the 2020-21 school year, the population of special education students grew at a rate of 6.6 percent per year. Assuming the same rate of change, there would be 645,249 students receiving special education services in the 2021-22 school year. Assuming that 75 percent of the these students were eligible and participated in the program and that the average expenditure per participating student was $1,125, the cost of the program in fiscal year 2022 would be $544.4 million and in fiscal year 2023 would be $580.6 million.
This analysis assumes that General Revenue Funds would be appropriated to fund the program. Because the program would be application-based, the program would be scalable based on the amount funds that are appropriated.
According to TEA, the agency would require one Education Specialist IV to administer the program and one Programmer IV to provide ongoing information technology maintenance and support. Costs associated with these FTEs would be $248,250 in fiscal year 2022 and $240,250 in fiscal year 2023.
Technology
TEA estimates that there would be costs of $18,186 in fiscal year 2022 and $54,557 in fiscal year 2023 to develop and implement the requirements of the bill.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.