LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 28, 2003

TO:
Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1181 by West (Relating to student discipline in public schools.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1181, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($952,124) through the biennium ending August 31, 2005.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2004 ($476,062)
2005 ($476,062)
2006 ($476,062)
2007 ($476,062)
2008 ($476,062)




Fiscal Year Probable (Cost) from
GENERAL REVENUE FUND
1 		Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2003
2004 ($476,062) 7.0
2005 ($476,062) 7.0
2006 ($476,062) 7.0
2007 ($476,062) 7.0
2008 ($476,062) 7.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill amends various current law provisions in Chapter 37, Texas Education Code. 

The bill would require an open-enrollment charter school that expels a student or removes a student to a disciplinary alternative education program to comply with the provisions of Chapter 37, Education Code.  The bill authorizes an open-enrollment charter school that enrolls a student who was expelled or placed in a disciplinary alternative education program by another district to continue the expulsion or placement if the charter school complies with Chapter 37, Education Code.  The bill also would amend various provisions concerning the requirements for school district disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs) and the circumstances for student expulsions. 

This bill requires TEA to include a review of compliance with disciplinary alternative education program requirements in their compliance reviews and on-site monitoring visits.  This bill authorizes the commissioner to consider the district’s compliance with disciplinary alternative education program requirements in determining a district’s accreditation rating.


Methodology

The bill would require that Agency compliance reviews, including on-site monitoring visits, include a review of compliance with disciplinary alternative education program requirements.  Incorporating review of school district disciplinary alternative education program compliance into current monitoring activities would require additional staff at the Agency of about 7.0 full-time employees plus associated travel and operating expenses resulting in an annual increase of $277,956 per year. Travel and other operatings expenses bring the total to $476,062 per year.  An increase in placements to Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs would have a fiscal impact on those programs, but as those programs are funded as a Foundation School Program set-aside from the Texas education Agency there is no cost to the state.

Local Government Impact

School districts could incur additional costs in providing course completion opportunities to students in disciplinary alternative education programs or in-school suspension.  The costs of these activities would be expected to vary widely from district to district depending upon the level to which such opportunities are currently provided and the methods chosen locally to provide the opportunities.


Source Agencies:
665 Juvenile Probation Commission, 701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
JK, CT, UP, PQ