TO: | Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education |
FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
IN RE: | HB4294 by Branch (Relating to textbooks, electronic textbooks, instructional material, and technological equipment in public schools.), As Engrossed |
The bill would allow expenditure of state textbook funds for technological equipment necessary to utilize electronic textbooks and instructional materials on the list adopted by the Commissioner under the provisions of the bill.
The bill would require the Commissioner of Education to adopt a list of instructional materials and electronic textbooks that meet certain requirements regarding content.
The bill would allow districts to select instructional materials and electronic textbooks from a list adopted by the Commissioner in addition to traditional textbooks for foundation or enrichment courses.
The bill would entitle school districts that select electronic textbooks from the approved list to funding equal to the cost of the electronic textbook for the relevant course plus any textbook credits that would have accrued based on the selection of the textbook multiplied by the number of electronic textbooks required. These funds could be used for the purchase of electronic textbooks or to supplement the district's technology allotment in order to purchase technological equipment to be used to provide access to approved instructional materials and electronic textbooks.
The bill would require school districts to purchase at a minimum a classroom set of textbooks for courses in the foundation curriculum.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) estimates that 2.5 FTEs would be required to implement the provisions of the bill, primarily for the purpose of implementing structural changes to the current textbook review and adoption process. In addtion, TEA would need to modify the Educational Materials Management System (EMAT) system to implement the provisions of the bill. Associated costs are not anticipated to be significant.
Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency
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LBB Staff: | JOB, JSp, JGM, JSc
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