LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
February 19, 2001
TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, Senate Committee on
Education
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB30 by Zaffirini (Relating to mandatory kindergarten
attendance in public schools.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB30, As Introduced: negative impact of $(146,537,500) through *
* the biennium ending August 31, 2003. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(73,268,750) *
* 2003 (73,268,750) *
* 2004 (73,268,750) *
* 2005 (73,268,750) *
* 2006 (73,621,250) *
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All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Probable Probable *
* Year Savings/(Cost) from Savings/(Cost) from Savings/(Cost) from *
* Foundation School State Textbook Fund General Revenue Fund *
* Fund 0003 0001 *
* 0193 *
* 2002 $(72,000,000) $(678,750) $(590,000) *
* 2003 (72,000,000) (678,750) (590,000) *
* 2004 (72,000,000) (678,750) (590,000) *
* 2005 (72,000,000) (678,750) (590,000) *
* 2006 (72,000,000) (1,031,250) (590,000) *
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Fiscal Analysis
The bill makes kindergarten attendance compulsory for children who are
five years old on September first of the school year, or who is younger
than five years of age and has previously been enrolled in kindergarten.
This legislation would take effect beginning with the 2001-2002 school
year.
Methodology
The Texas Education Agency predicts that about 15,000 children who are
not served in public school kindergarten programs might be expected to
enroll if kindergarten attendance were compulsory. The state cost
assumes that most of the additional students would be served in full-day
kindergarten programs at an average cost of about $4,800 per student.
The curriculum/textbook estimate is based on the cost of teacher-based
learning systems currently adopted for kindergarten. The average cost of
these systems is about $1,810 per teacher for fiscal years 2002-2005.
Materials scheduled for new adoption will be implemented in school
districts in fiscal year 2006 at an anticipated cost of about $2,750 per
teacher.
Because of excess capacity in kindergarten classes, and because districts
would still have the option of offering half-day programs, it is assumed
that school districts would only need to add about 375 new teachers.
Using this estimate to project the state contribution for the Teacher
Retirement System results in an annual general revenue cost to the state
of approximately $590,000 per year
Local Government Impact
The bill would result in additional state aid to offset the costs of
additional staff. However, it is likely that there would be substantial
facilities needs statewide. Because the bill is silent concerning
additional facilities costs, it is assumed that these costs would be
largely local costs. The combined cost of facilities as estimated above
would be about $30.0 million.
Source Agencies: 701 Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff: JK, CT, PF, RN