LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                             February 4, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, SenateCommittee on Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB237  by Ellis,Rodney (Relating to providing public
               school students and their parents with information about
               higher education and financial aid opportunities.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.  The   *
*  bill would require the Commissioner of Education (Texas Education     *
*  Agency) to expand the minimum standards for school district staff     *
*  development to include guidelines for principals, counselors, and     *
*  teachers to provide middle school students, junior high school        *
*  students, high school students, and their parents with information    *
*  about higher education, including financial aid opportunities.        *
*  The Agency could accomplish with its current staff.                   *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would require school districts to expand their district
improvement plan to include strategies to provide middle school students,
junior high school students, high school students, and their parents
with information about higher education, including financial aid
opportunities.   School district staff development efforts would have to
meet the Commissioner of Education minimum standards which would now
include guidelines for principals, counselors, and teachers to provide
middle school students, junior high school students, high school
students, and their parents with information about higher education,
including financial aid opportunities.

Assuming high schools already have staff to provide such information, the
additional costs would apply to the 1,325 middle school and junior high
school campuses.  Assuming $100 per campus for staff training and $50
per campus for material, the annual costs for local districts would be
$198,750 statewide.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, PF