Download the May 14, 2014 2DAC Handout
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
South Carolina School Boards Association 2DAC Two days at the capitol inside Preparing for your visit .................... 1 Map of State House complex ......... 2 Agenda ............................................. 3 Top legislative issues, position statements and talking points K-12 education budget .................. 3 Common Core State Standards ..... 5 Read to Succeed .............................. 6 Sales tax for construction ............... 9 Education votes 2014 ................... 10 Legislators by school districts ....... 11 Notes .............................................. 18 2 014 South Carolina School Boards Association 2DAC Two days at the capitol Wednesday, VOICE May 14, 2014 LOCAL 2DAC Two days at the capitol Preparing for your visit per hour with a maximum of $10 for the day. Parking is also available at green, two-hour parking meters SCSBA looks forward to seeing you Wednesday, May on area streets. Please note that participants will be 14 for our second 2DAC (Two Days at the Capitol). As responsible for their parking fees. a school board member, administrator or public school advocate, your presence at the State House lobbying on behalf of public schools is crucial. State House Visits After the morning’s legislative briefing, participants This handout provides a summary of the top will walk across the street to the State House (see legislative issues that you will be asked to discuss with map of State House complex) and have a little more legislators during the State House visit. Included with than one hour to meet with legislators and attend each issue are: committee meetings, if any are scheduled. SCSBA • position statement will email you a list of committee meetings before • talking points the event. • actions for school boards If the House or Senate is in session, requests to speak with legislators can be made by completing Please note that legislation can change quickly as a form on the desks near the entrance of the House it moves through the process. SCSBA will be sure to and Senate chambers. pass along any changes or updates. While at the State House, be sure to keep notes Steps to take before you arrive of conversations with legislators to share on a debriefing form. • Study the legislative issues, position statements, talking points and actions for school boards and Meet the candidates advocates to discuss with legislators. GOP, Democratic and American Party candidates • Contact members of your legislative delegation to for state superintendent of education have been schedule a meeting between 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 invited to participate in this year’s 2DAC luncheon p.m. and a meet the candidates forum from 1 to 2 • Review education-related committee meetings p.m. Candidates from each political party will be that may be scheduled that day. introduced by name in alphabetical order. Each • Check the weather forecast. candidate will give a brief introduction and answer one or two questions, depending on the number of • Parking in the garage is recommended, but if candidates and time, as follows: you plan to park on the street, bring coins for the meter. 1. “What is the single, most important thing I can do as state superintendent of education to ensure all Parking South Carolina students are successfully prepared to enter college (2 or 4 –year) or the workforce of Parking is available in the parking garage adjacent to today and in the future?” (5 minutes) the Capital City Club building and can be accessed on Assembly Street or Lady Street. The parking fee is $1 2. “Who was your favorite grade school teacher and why?” (1 minute) South Carolina School Boards Association 1 2014 Top Legislative Issues and Talking Points of StateComplex House Please note that the public entrance to the State House is on the Sumter Street (east) side of the building. LADY ST. PARKING FOR CAPITAL CITY CLUB CAPITAL CITY CLUB MAIN ST. SUMTER ST. GERVAIS ST. PUBLIC ENTRANCE ASSEMBLY ST. STATE HOUSE SENATE ST. DENNIS GRESSETTE HAMPTON CALHOUN (SENATE) BLATT (HOUSE) BROWN PENDLETON ST. South Carolina School Boards Association 2 2014 Top Legislative Issues and Talking Points 2DAC is the only SCSBA statewide event taking place before the June 10 primaries and is a good op- portunity to learn more about all of the candidates. Meeting location The Capital City Club is located on the 25th floor of the Capital Center (formerly Southtrust) building at 1201 Main Street in Columbia (across the street from the State House). Agenda 9 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast – Capital City Club 9:30 a.m. Welcome and legislative briefing – Capital City Club 10:15 a.m. Visits/meetings with legislators – State House Noon Lunch (2DAC participants only) – Capital City Club 1 p.m. Meet the candidates for state superinten- dent of education State Budget/Education Funding House bill 4701 Overview The House completed its budget March 12 and sent it to the Senate Finance Committee, which met April 29 and 30 to finalize its budget proposal for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. The committee’s plan mirrors SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION the plan passed by the House with a few exceptions. Under both plans, $137.5 million would be directed to • $24.4 million to expand the state’s 4-year-old the Education Finance Act (EFA) to close the current kindergarten program year’s funding gap and increase the base student cost (BSC) to $2,120 per pupil. However, this is well • $1.2 million in additional hold-harmless funding due below the statutorily required amount of $2,742. Of to the new weightings adopted from the governor’s the additional amount allocated to EFA, $83.2 million funding plan represents a swap of Education Improvement Act • $4.5 million more for purchasing or leasing buses, funds directed for gifted and talented and academic bringing the total to $16.5 million assistance programs. Both plans also incorporate a revised formula advocated by Gov. Nikki Haley for In addition, the committee’s plan provides a $300 distributing funds to schools by adding weightings for bonus for state employees if state revenues are poverty, gifted and talented students, and students higher than projected and maintains the 1.5 percent requiring specialized instruction and some “hold pay increase as adopted by the House. No funds harmless” funds for districts negatively impacted by for teacher salary increases were provided. Also, the the weighting changes to keep from receiving less committee’s plan increases by $1,000 a month the in- funding than they currently receive for next year. district expenses that lawmakers are paid, bringing the total to $24,000 a year in addition to their annual salary Under the Senate Finance Committee plan, of $10,400. additional funding is provided as follows: South Carolina School Boards Association 3 2014 Top Legislative Issues and Talking Points Other highlights of the budget are: that was not offered in the resident school district. If a school does not comply, SDE will withhold one • $30 million for elementary school reading coaches percent of their total state allocation. (Deleted in and professional development on reading best Senate Finance Committee’s version.) practices. Schools with low reading test scores will get 100% funding for coaches, while others will get • Proviso 1.92 states that if a high school has a 50% state funding. graduation rate below 60 percent, the school board must provide a report detailing a plan to increase • $4.5 million is devoted to expanding summer the graduation rate. reading camps and programs. • Proviso 110.9 deletes a proviso prohibiting local • $30 million in lottery funds for statewide technology governments and political subdivisions from improvements, to be distributed on an average charging a processing fee for the payment of taxes daily membership (ADM) basis and include poverty by credit card. A later-adopted amendment said fees weightings. charged could not exceed the actual cost incurred • $12 million for digital instructional materials. by the political subdivision, and included reporting • $4 million is included to train teachers on how to use requirements as well as a penalty for a political technology in the classroom. subdivision that violates the provision. • $17.7 million in new funding for the charter school Position statements district, including $4 million for a revolving loan program. • SCSBA believes that the General Assembly must meet its commitment to fully fund state-mandated • $8.6 million in school transportation funds for bus educational programs for public schools. maintenance and fuel. • SCSBA believes it is imperative for the General • $742,500 for a virtual instruction program at the Assembly to comprehensively reform the state’s State Department of Education (SDE), including 11 education funding structure, which includes full-time staff. revamping the tax structure, to provide more Provisos of note include the following: adequate and stable revenue sources. • Proviso 1.3 adds a new pupil weighting of 1.20 for pre-career and career technology. (Senate Finance Talking points Committee sets weighting at 1.29.) • We appreciate efforts by the General Assembly • Proviso 1.23 deletes a requirement that SDE must to increase the BSC; however, it is still below the purchase only school buses equipped with Wi-Fi statutorily required amount of $2,742 per pupil. technology. Also, using EIA funds to pay for the increase and not eliminating the EIA mandates that go with the funds, • Proviso 1.88 allows school districts to use existing shifts those program costs to the local level. local funds currently used for reading assistance to meet local match requirements for reading coaches. • We have concerns regarding House proviso 1.89 that would require local charter schools to be held • Proviso 1.89 mandates that charter schools in local harmless financially from changes in the revised EFA districts must receive transition or hold harmless formula for distributing funds to school districts.