LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

February 21, 2005

TO:	Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB78 by Shapleigh (Relating to a two-way developmental bilingual education pilot project in certain school districts.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require the Commissioner of Education to establish a pilot project in five school districts that would examine two-way developmental bilingual education programs and the effect of those programs on students' ability to graduate from high school.

 

The bill would require reports evaluating the programs’ effectiveness on student grade-level completion and graduation along with recommendations in interim form by January 1, 2009 and in final form by January 1, 2011. Because of the longitudinal nature of the study, it is assumed that the most practical and cost-effective means of complying would be through the addition of a staff position at the Texas Education Agency for the time period provided under the bill.  Annual costs for 1.0 person to conduct the study and prepare the required reports would be estimated to approach approximately $63,000 each year from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2011.

 

The bill would take effect immediately upon enactment by the necessary voting majorities or September 1, 2005.  The provision would expire August 1, 2011.

 

The bill does not indicate whether the school districts selected would need to be among the 195 districts with existing two-way developmental bilingual programs or whether such programs could be established in the five selected districts under the scope of the pilot project.  If the intent of the legislation is to establish new programs to be examined there could be increased state cost associated with start-up and implementation assistance to the programs. 

Local Government Impact

The bill does not indicate whether the school districts selected to participate in the pilot would need to have existing two-way developmental bilingual programs or whether such programs could be established under the scope of the pilot project.  It is assumed that any costs associated with establishing a new two-way developmental bilingual program for the purpose of the pilot project would be local costs. 

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, CT, UP, JSc