April 12, 2018 2DAC Handout
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TWO DAYS @ THE CAPITOL april 12, 2018 inside Steps to take before you arrive ........1 Meeting location, logistics ...............1 Agenda .............................................1 Map ...................................................2 Top legislative priorities, position statements and talking points new location! K12 funding / Education funding reform ............3 Columbia Metropolitan Fiscal accountability revisions .........7 Convention Center School safety ....................................8 (See map on page 2) School bus safety .............................9 School start date ..............................9 Retired teacher salary cap ............10 #sc2dac South Carolina legislators ..............11 SCSBA looks forward to seeing you Thursday As a school board member, administrator or a local public school advocate, your presence at the State House standing up for public schools makes a difference. Leaders of local school districts, school board members and administrators know best the impact state policy proposals can have on their schools. To help prepare for discussions with lawmakers on Thursday, this handout provides information on the legislative issues you will be discussing with your legislators. Each issue includes an overview, position statement and talking points. Please note that legislation can change quickly as it moves through the process. SCSBA will be sure to pass along any changes or updates. #sc2dac TWO DAYS @ THE CAPITOL Before you arrive State House visits 1. Contact members of your legislative delegation After the morning’s legislative briefing, to arrange a meeting between 10:30 a.m. and participants will head to the State House (see 11:45 a.m. at the State House. map of State House complex) and have a little 2. Study the legislative issues, position statements more than one hour to meet with legislators and talking points to prepare for your meetings and attend any scheduled committee with legislators. meetings. If the House or Senate is in session, requests to speak with legislators can be made 3. Review the education-related committee by completing a form on the desk near the meetings that may be scheduled for the day. entrance of both chambers. Be sure to keep 4. Check the weather forecast for chances of rain notes of your conversations with legislators to to determine if you should pack an umbrella, share on the debriefing form provided in your and don’t forget coins for parking meters if you meeting packet. are planning to park on the street. Agenda Meeting location 9 a.m. The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center Registration and continental breakfast is located at 1101 Lincoln St., Columbia, SC 29201. 9:30 a.m. Parking Welcome Wesley Hightower, SCSBA President, Aiken There are multiple parking options at or near Scott Price, SCSBA Executive Director the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center: Briefing on legislative issues • The CMCC parking lot adjacent to the facility Debbie Elmore, SCSBA Director of Governmen- may be available at no charge on a first-come, tal Relations and Communications first-served basis. Parking availability is subject to change, based on event times and the number 10:15 a.m. of events in the building. State House visits/meetings with legislators • Pay-for-parking garages are operated by (see State House complex map) the City of Columbia and are available 24/7. Noon Customers can pay by cash or credit card. A Lunch and program (2DAC participants only) cashier is on site most days from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Charges are $2 for the first hour and $1 PLEASE NOTE: School bus transportation will be for every additional hour but are no more than available to and from the State House. $10 for the day. Customers with lost tickets will automatically be charged $10 regardless of hours parked in the garage. • Additionally, metered parking is available along many of the streets around the facility. South Carolina School Boards Association 1 2018 Top Legislative Issues and Talking Points TWO DAYS @ THE CAPITOL State House complex and Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center Public entrance to the State House is on the Sumter Street (east) side of the building. Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center entrance is on Lincoln Street. The convention center’s street address is 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Lady St. Park St. Main St. Sumter St. Lincoln St. Assembly St. Gervais St. new location! Public entrance State House Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center Senate St. Dennis Gressette Hampton Calhoun (Senate) CMCC Blatt (House) Brown Pendleton St. Dennis Gressette Parking (Senate) College St. Blatt (House) Greene St. South Carolina School Boards Association 2 2018 Top Legislative Issues and Talking Points Top legislative priorities, position statements and talking points K12 funding/Education • $3 million for industrial credentials/ certification. * funding reform • $2 million for career and technology centers. (SCSBA legislative priority) • $4.2 million in EIA funds and $32.4 million House bill 4950 in General Fund revenues to fund the With a projected growth of about $292 million one percent state retirement employer in new General Fund revenues and an estimated contribution rate increase beginning July 1 $39 million growth in Education Improvement Act for all state employees, including teachers. (EIA) funds, the prospect of tackling education (Districts will continue to receive the same funding reform this legislative session is highly level of funding in the current year to fund unlikely. the two percent employer contribution rate Work on the 2018-2019 state spending plan has increase.)* been completed in the House and is currently in • $59.4 million in recurring funds to cover the the Senate where its plan is being debated this state employee health insurance increase, week. The Senate proposal passed by the Senate which includes school district employees. Finance Committee includes many of the K12 The additional funds mean there would be provisions in the House-passed plan. Unless those no premium increases for employees and provisions are amended by the full Senate, they retirees and only a modest increase in co- will be “locked” into the budget. Highlights of the pays. Employees will also receive an annual same provisions are as follows: wellness visit that would not be subject to co- • $11 million to assist low performing schools pays or deductibles. identified under the new accountability • $13 million for the State Public Charter School system. (Note: The number of low performing District to maintain the current year’s Base schools is expected to double under the new Student Cost (BSC). system. $11 million is nearly half of the S.C. Department of Education’s (SCDE) budget request of $24 million.) * Amounts are locked; however, there are • $5 million to increase the starting teacher differences between the House and Senate in annual salary from $30,000 to $32,000. the methods used to distribute the funds. House and Senate budget differences House Budget Plan Senate Budget Plan SCSBA Position $32 million increase to the Educa- $64.7 million increase to the EFA Support Senate version. tion Finance Act (EFA) to maintain to increase the average BSC from the current year’s BSC average of $2,425 to $2,485 ($60 increase) $2,425 per student. per student. (Note: The average BSC for the 2018-2019 school year should be $3,018 as required by law.) South Carolina School Boards Association 3 2018 Top Legislative Issues and Talking Points House Budget Plan Senate Budget Plan SCSBA Position $35 million in Education Improve- $32 million increase in EIA funding Support Senate version. ment Act (EIA) funding and $24 to provide a 1% teacher pay million in EFA funding to provide a increase. 2% teacher pay increase. (Note: $24 million is allocated through the EFA formula based on district “wealth.”) $485,000 for the Youth Learning Proviso deleted. Support Senate version Institute at Clemson University to (funding for the four schools implement two professional devel- would come out of state opment programs in four middle professional development schools. funding for all school districts). No school safety funding pro- $4 million to the SCDE for school Support Senate version. vided. safety facility and infrastructure upgrades. $8 million increase in recurring $10 million increase in recurring Support Senate version. and non-recurring funds for and non-recurring funds for school bus purchase/lease. school bus purchase/lease. No increase in funding for the Ex- $1 million increase for the Support House version. ceptional Needs Scholarships pro- Exceptional Needs Scholarships gram currently operating through program, bringing its new total to proviso. $12 million statewide ($10 million for scholarships and $2 million in direct tax credits for individuals). Highlights of House and Senate budget proviso differences House Budget Plan Senate Budget Plan SCSBA Position 1.3 retains the current definition 1.3 amends the definition for Support House version until for students in poverty weighting. students in poverty weighting as it is clearly determined what A simulation conducted by those who qualify for Medicaid, impact the new definition will the SCDE revealed the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance have on all school districts. $21 million for school districts Program (SNAP), Temporary statewide if a new definition Assistance for Needy Families adopted by the Ways and Means (TANF) or students who are Committee was used. Members homeless, transient, or in foster amended the proviso on the floor care. Senate leaders state the to require the use of the current new definition is a more accurate definition. method to identify students in poverty. With the additional BSC funding, there should be little to no changes for districts; however, no simulation has been conducted. South Carolina School Boards Association 4 2018 Top Legislative Issues and Talking Points House Budget Plan Senate Budget Plan SCSBA Position 1.92 waives the 250 minutes of Deletes House proviso 1.92 Support House version. special education instructional requirement for districts to apply for a special education weighting. 1.99 requires school districts must Deletes House proviso 1.99 Support Senate version.