LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 3, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Paul Sadler, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1727  by Cain (Relating to staff development provided
               by school districts.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
School districts would be required to provide staff development training
related to instruction of students with disabilities, primarily those
teachers who are not directly involved in special education programs.

A variety of programs are currently offered which provide professional
development related to students with disabilities.  It is not clear
whether or not these programs would meet the requirements of this bill.
To the extent that programs would need to be redesigned, higher costs
could be incurred that may be passed on teachers in the form of higher
fees.

For purposes of this fiscal note, estimated costs for salaries of
trainers and materials are $75 per teacher.  To provide the proposed
training to all of the state's 246,500 non-special education teachers
would cost approximately $18.5 million.  As the bill does not specify a
training schedule, it is anticipated that this cost would be spread out
over several years.

Additionally, the bill does not provide for additional teacher
preparation days, therefore, implementation of the provisions of this
bill may cause other professional development programs to be displaced.
If other subjects are not provided, it could be argued that expenses
related to that training would be decreased to somewhat offset the costs
stated above.  There would probably still be some added expenses to
generate course materials and develop training.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, RN