LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 11, 2011

TO:	Honorable Rob Eissler, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2491 by Flynn (Relating to a moratorium on certain testing and assessments of certain public school students under the public school accountability system.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would direct the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop a plan to suspend the state assessment program until the beginning of federal fiscal year 2014 and would allow school districts to suspend the administration of state assessments during that period with local school board approval.

For purposes of this estimate, it is assumed that the bill would have no effect because the provisions of the bill are not sufficient to allow the agency to develop a workable plan for suspension of the state assessment system, resulting in no fiscal impact to the state.

However, if the bill were amended to sufficiently address statutory impediments to suspension of the state assessment system, there would likely be some savings to the state of General Revenue costs associated with the administration of state assessments. It would also be anticipated that the state would incur a loss of federal Title I administration funds estimated at $12.8 million annually because the state assessment system would be out of compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Local Government Impact

The bill would allow local school districts to opt out of the state assessment system and would allow school districts to retain any funds saved as a result. Because under current law, the state bears the direct cost of developing and administering assessments, no savings would accrue to school districts.

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, LXH, JGM, JSc