LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 19, 2015

TO:
Honorable Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor, Senate
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB934 by Kolkhorst (Relating to providing training academies for public school teachers who provide mathematics instruction to students in kindergarten through grade three.), As Passed 2nd House



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB934, As Passed 2nd House: a negative impact of ($22,816,546) 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 ($14,334,709)
2017 ($8,481,837)
2018 ($8,648,229)
2019 ($8,817,948)
2020 ($8,991,061)




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
General Revenue Fund
1
2016 ($14,334,709)
2017 ($8,481,837)
2018 ($8,648,229)
2019 ($8,817,948)
2020 ($8,991,061)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require the Commissioner of Education to develop mathematics achievement academies for teachers who provide instruction for kindergarten through grade three. The bill would require the academies to include training in effective and systematic instructional practices in problem solving, the place value system, whole number operations, and fractions.

The bill would require the Commissioner to adopt criteria for selecting teachers to attend the academies, including that teachers employed at a campus at which 50 percent or more educationally disadvantaged students be given priority to attend the academies. The bill requires the Commissioner to provide a process to allow teachers not employed at prioritized campuses to attend the academies if space is available and the employing school district pays associated costs.

The bill would provide teachers attending the academies with a stipend. The bill would require the amount of the stipend, as determined by the Commissioner, to not be considered in determining the minimum salary for a teacher.

The bill would require Regional Education Service Centers to assist the Commissioner and the Texas Education Agency with the development and operation of the academies, on the Commissioner's request.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2015, or immediately if passed with the necessary voting margins.

Methodology

Providing mathematics achievement academies to teachers in the grades specified in the bill would result in a cost of $14.3 million in fiscal year 2016 due to initial development costs, $8.5 million in fiscal year 2017, and increasing to approximately $9.0 million in fiscal year 2020.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) estimates the mathematics achievement academies would be three days long and would provide a $125 stipend per day for each teacher that attended an academy. This estimate assumes the stipends provided to teachers are considered part of the cost of the mathematics achievement academies. Based on information provided by TEA, the 2013-14 Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data indicated 87,002 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in kindergarten through grade three. This estimate assumes that 21,751 teachers (25 percent of the kindergarten through grade three teachers) would attend the academies in fiscal year 2016, increasing to 23,543 teachers in fiscal year 2020. Beginning in 2017, this estimate assumes the population of teachers would grow annually at approximately 2.0 percent based on a comparison of PEIMS FTE teacher data. The estimated annual cost of stipends would be $8,156,438 (21,751 teachers x $125/day x 3 days) in fiscal year 2016, increasing to $8,828,790 in fiscal year 2020 (23,543 teachers x $125/day x 3 days). To the extent that school districts paid for non-eligible teachers to attend the mathematics achievement academies, the cost of academy stipends would be lower.

Based on information provided by TEA, mathematics achievement academy content development would cost $6.0 million, or $1.5 million per grade level, in fiscal year 2016. 

TEA reports that two FTEs would be required to assist with the development and implementation of the teacher mathematics achievement academies. The estimated cost of the FTEs, including salary, benefits, and other operating expenses, would be $178,271 in fiscal year 2016 and $162,271 in subsequent years.

Local Government Impact

School districts could incur additional costs in the form of contributions to the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Trust Account for teachers attending the academies since the stipend authorized by the bill would be considered creditable compensation. School districts may incur costs for substitute teachers while teachers attend the mathematics achievement academies. Costs could vary widely among districts.

School districts that do not meet the criteria for automatic attendance may incur costs associated with the opportunity for teachers to participate if the opportunity arises. However, these costs would be voluntary.


Source Agencies:
323 Teacher Retirement System, 701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
UP, AW, JBi, AM, PFe