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LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
March 17, 2021
TO:
Honorable Larry Taylor, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB179 by Lucio (Relating to the use of public school counselors' work time.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB179, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($452,860) through the biennium ending August 31, 2023.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2022
($230,430)
2023
($222,430)
2024
($222,430)
2025
($222,430)
2026
($222,430)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2021
2022
($230,430)
2.0
2023
($222,430)
2.0
2024
($222,430)
2.0
2025
($222,430)
2.0
2026
($222,430)
2.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require districts to adopt a policy that allocates specific portions of a school counselor's time to duties that are part of a counseling program. The bill would specify district policy requirements to include limitations on certain activities as well as exceptions. The bill would mandate that district employment contracts adhere to the policy.
The bill would require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to conduct monitoring reviews of district compliance with the counselor policy, including interviewing a percentage of the districts' counselors to be determined by the Commissioner.
Methodology
This analysis assumes the TEA Monitoring, Review, and Support Department would require 2.0 additional Education Specialist IV positions to implement the review of the counselor duties policies for a total cost of $230,430 in fiscal year 2022 and $222,430 in subsequent fiscal years.
TEA estimates salary costs for each Education Specialist IV would be $72,789 per year. This analysis assumes costs for employee benefits (32.52 percent of salary) and payroll contributions (1.5 percent of salary) would total $24,763 per FTE per year. TEA assumes operating expenses associated with each FTE would total $6,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $2,000 per fiscal year thereafter. Additionally, this analysis assumes travel costs for on-site visits would total $11,663 per FTE per year.
Local Government Impact
TEA assumes districts would likely incur costs to hire additional staff to ensure compliance with the counselor work time policies required by the bill.