LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 20, 2015

TO:
Honorable Jimmie Don Aycock, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2886 by Deshotel (Relating to providing a training course for public school prekindergarten teachers.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2886, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,582,568) through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.

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
2016 ($2,042,284)
2017 ($540,284)
2018 ($540,284)
2019 ($540,284)
2020 ($540,284)




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
General Revenue Fund
1
2016 ($2,042,284)
2017 ($540,284)
2018 ($540,284)
2019 ($540,284)
2020 ($540,284)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require the Commissioner of Education to develop a prekindergarten teacher training course for prekindergarten teachers employed by a school district or open-enrollment charter school. The bill would require the course to include training in the prekindergarten guidelines established by the agency, effective and systematic instructional techniques for teaching prekindergarten students using the guidelines, and designing and implementing a comprehensive curriculum in the classroom.

The bill would require the Commissioner to contract with each Regional Education Service Center to provide the training.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2015.

Methodology

Providing a prekindergarten teacher training course would result in a cost of approximately $2.1 million in fiscal year 2016 and $546,284 in subsequent years.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) estimates a one-time cost of $1.5 million in fiscal year 2016 to develop the prekindergarten training course materials.

TEA would contract with the twenty regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) for the costs associated with providing the training to prekindergarten teachers for an estimated cost of $26,000 per ESC, which would provide for a 0.25 full-time equivalent (FTE), meeting space, and supplies. The total cost to contract with all 20 ESCs for the training would be $520,000 annually ($26,000 x 20).  

This estimate assumes 0.25 FTE positions would be required at TEA to coordinate the prekindergarten training course, administer contracts, and provide technical assistance. The estimated cost of the 0.25 FTE position, including salary, benefits, and other operating expenses, would be $22,284 in fiscal year 2016 and $20,284 in subsequent years.

Local Government Impact

School districts and open-enrollment charter schools could incur costs for substitute teachers while teachers attend the literacy achievement academies. Costs could vary widely among districts.


Source Agencies:
701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
UP, JBi, AM, AW