LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
March 14, 2001
TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, Senate Committee on
Education
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB213 by Bernsen (Relating to the compulsory school
attendance age and to the age of children for whom public
school kindergarten must be provided.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB213, As Introduced: negative impact of $(133,104,450) 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:
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* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(66,864,450) *
* 2003 (66,240,000) *
* 2004 (66,240,000) *
* 2005 (66,240,000) *
* 2006 (67,188,750) *
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All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* Year Foundation School Fund State Textbook Fund *
* 0193 0003 *
* 2002 $(66,240,000) $(624,450) *
* 2003 (66,240,000) 0 *
* 2004 (66,240,000) 0 *
* 2005 (66,240,000) 0 *
* 2006 (66,240,000) (948,750) *
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Fiscal Analysis
The bill changes the eligibility requirements for kindergarten to include
children who are five years old as of August 1 or who are less than five
but have attended a pre-kindergarten program. The bill makes
kindergarten attendance compulsory for children meeting the revised age
requirements.
Methodology
Approximately 15,000 children who are not now served in public school
kindergarten programs, might be expected to enroll if kindergarten
attendance were compulsory. However, because the bill permits but not
require children with birthdays between August 2 and August 31 to attend,
it is assumed that about 92% or 13,800 might actually enroll as a result
of this bill. This number multiplied by $4,800 in state aid would
result in a $66,240,000 annual cost.
Because of the bill, there would be a need for additional textbooks.
Textbook costs are based on an average one-time cost of $1,810 for
teacher-based learning systems, currently adopted for kindergarten. It
is estimated that, although some of the 13,800 students can be absorbed
in current programs, an additional 345 teachers/sections would be
needed.
Local Government Impact
The bill would result in additional state aid to districts to offset the
costs of additional staff. However, it is likely that there would be
facilities needs statewide. Facilities costs are based on the about 345
new sections of kindergarten that would be needed. Costs per section
for kindergarten are estimated to be about $80,000 per classroom, for
one-time facilities costs of $27,600,000.
Source Agencies: 701 Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff: JK, CT, JM