| TO: | Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1700 by Hilderbran (Relating to a project for the development and implementation of a nature science curriculum for public school students.), As Engrossed |
The bill amends the Education Code to propose the development and implementation of a nature science curriculum for Texas public schools. The curriculum would be developed jointly by various components of Texas Tech and the South Llano River State Park. The bill requires that the curriculum be designed to: (1) be capable of implementation in any state park; (2) use park resources in providing instruction; and (3) be presented by classroom teachers and state park employees. The Texas Tech University Center at Junction, with assistance from the South Llano River State Park, would be required to present staff development courses in providing instruction in the nature science curriculum beginning September 1, 2008
Texas Tech has estimated that they would require two FTEs to implement provisions at a cost of $92,369 per year. Other costs would include curriculum dissemination of $2,500 per year, which includes web programming. Travel for instruction staff to offer workshops and equipment and supplies would be estimated to be $6,900 per year. These costs would be absorbed within existing resources.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the department would be required to develop a nature science curriculum that could be taught in any state park and to provide grade-level appropriate classroom instruction. The bill would require TPWD to commit the equivalent of 1.0 additional FTE, together with related startup costs ($66,673 in fiscal year 2009 and approximately $43,000 each fiscal year thereafter) towards implementation of the bill. To the extent the bill would require TPWD to develop a curriculum and provide classroom instruction, the estimate assumes TPWD could implement the provisions of the bill by redirecting existing resources and the bill would not result in a significant fiscal implication to the State.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency, 733 Texas Tech University, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, JSp, RT, GO
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