Honorable Brandon Creighton, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB2497 by Middleton (relating to the bilingual education allotment under the public school finance system.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB2497, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted : a negative impact of ($494,051) through the biennium ending August 31, 2025.
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
2024
($184,689)
2025
($309,362)
2026
($123,567)
2027
($123,567)
2028
($123,567)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2023
2024
($184,689)
1.0
2025
($309,362)
1.0
2026
($123,567)
1.0
2027
($123,567)
1.0
2028
($123,567)
1.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would allow all bilingual programs and special language programs (ESL) to generate the Bilingual Education Allotment (BEA) and would allow all dual language immersion programs to generate the additional allotment for emergent bilingual students and non-emergent bilingual students under an exception.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) would be required to review school districts that offer alternative language methods approved by the agency and approve districts to receive the allotment under TEC 48.105(a-2) for that biennium in a manner that provides not more than $10 million total under the allotment under 48.105(a-2) to school districts in each biennium.
Methodology
TEA assumes one Education Specialist V would be required to review and approve the districts that would receive the allotment. The agency assumes the cost of the FTE would be $122,757 for the fiscal year 2024 and $123,567 in subsequent fiscal years.
This analysis assumes that costs to the Foundation School Program (FSP) associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.
Technology
The agency assumes there would be technological costs associated with implementing the bill and estimate that this amount would be $61,932 in fiscal year 2024 and $185,795 in fiscal year 2025.
Local Government Impact
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) would need to report the Alternative Language Education Method for a teacher where the LEA has received an approved Bilingual or ESL waiver from TEA. The agency assumes that there would not be a large fiscal impact to LEAs to change the student information system coding. The LEAs would receive additional funding for students served in a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model where there is an approved waiver under this bill. The agency assumes that LEAs would need to apply for a waiver for these types of programs when there is not a certified teacher.