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February 18 - Issue #4

School Expenditures Expected to Decrease FY2011 over 2010

In the aggregate, fiscal year 2011 education spending approved by school boards will be less than voter-approved spending in 2010, according to the Department of Education.  With 226 districts reporting, education spending is expected to decrease two-tenths of one percent.  Although there are some districts that have not yet reported and budgets must still be approved by local voters, more than half the districts in the state appear to have either level-funded or decreased their budgets from the prior year.  This is the second consecutive year that typical school budgets will show very modest increases, level funding, or reductions, as education spending increased just 2.1 percent statewide last year. 

School districts have been very responsive to prevailing economic conditions and state-level leadership in both of the last two budget cycles.  In the spring of 2009, while the nationwide recession was unfolding, school district budgets increased just 2.1 percent; meanwhile, the state increased its budget 3.4 percent.  2009 was also the first year of the state-mandated Act 82 two-vote budget process, and only ten districts (about three percent of all districts) even asked their voters to approve a second school spending question (six of the requests were approved). 

This year, the message was even stronger.  Our Associations distributed the Current Realities PowerPoint presentation with its emphasis on cost containment.  Commissioner of Education Armando Vilaseca and Commissioner of Finance and Management Jim Reardon issued a letter last November when they asked districts to cut their budgets.  We confirmed this week that districts absolutely listened to these messages and approved decreased fiscal year 2011 budgets.

However, because education spending is just one component of homestead tax rates, many taxpayers residing in districts with flat or decreased budgets will still see a property tax increase this year.  That is because school enrollment, the statewide property tax base rate, property value, and the common level of appraisal are other factors that influence an individual taxpayer’s bill. 

Education Committees to Hold Hearing on Consolidation; Voluntary Merger Incentive Bill Introduced

On Wednesday, February 24th, the Senate and House Education Committees will hold a joint hearing on school district consolidation and merger from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Room 11 at the Statehouse.  The public is invited to provide brief testimony on their perspectives on voluntary school district merger and school district consolidation.  We hope that a sizable number of school officials will be able to testify, sharing their local experiences and opinions with legislators.  The two school district consolidation or merger bills that are currently receiving the most  consideration in the Legislature  are described in the following paragraphs.

The bill generating discussion in the Senate Education Committee is S.252, introduced by Senator Hartwell of Bennington County, would abolish existing supervisory unions and direct the Commissioner of Education to establish no more than 16 new, larger supervisory unions across the state.  S.252 would also  require the Commissioner to develop a plan for Legislative approval, by January 15, 2011, for the mandatory merger of school districts within the new supervisory unions, with each S.U. having a single governing board.  Members of the S.U. board would be elected on an at-large basis, thereby favoring the larger districts within each supervisory union. The Commissioner would also be required to include in his plan the consolidation of schools within S.U.’s that “offer the same or similar grades and that are within 10 vehicular miles of each other in order to use existing physical space for fully and to reduce the number of school buildings in operation.”  In order to meet any new construction needs caused by the consolidation of schools under this provision, the bill would proved 75% state construction aid in FY 2013 and 2014 for capital improvements and additions resulting from school building closures. The Hartwell bill would further  require the new supervisory unions to assume responsibility for business services, employment, special education, transportation for the member districts within the supervisory union.  Finally, the bill would require the Commissioner to recommend, by January 15, 2011, any statutory changes necessary to address transitional issues, such as the ownership of assets, assumption of debt and incorporation of existing employee contracts by the newly created supervisory unions.  S.252 envisions that all required governance changes would be implemented prior to the 2014-15 school year.

In a new approach respectful of local involvement in the management of district merger, the House Education Committee took testimony on Tuesday on a draft proposal that would provide  incentives to school districts that choose to voluntarily merge with contiguous districts.  The proposed  concept would direct all school boards to discuss merger options, and would allow districts to initiate locally-planned district mergers. Mergers would be encouraged through the creation of  tax incentives as well as a stable, structured funding environment over a transition period of up to four years during which the new, larger districts would merge operations and implement efficiencies.  The concept proposal , introduced by Rep. Peter Peltz of Woodbury, is unique among current governance reform proposals in that the governance change would be initiated and approved locally, in contrast to mandated sweeping consolidation into new districts as determined by the state.  Our Associations supported further consideration of the basic concept outlined below, with the caveat that many important details of the proposal must be developed prior to final legislative approval.

Although the merger incentive concept is early in the legislative process, and all details are subject to further discussion and possible change, the following is a brief outline of the proposal’s components:

1.       The recommendations of the Business-Education Alliance regarding (1) reconfiguring the composition of the state board of education and, (2) elevating the education commissioner to a secretary of education appointed by the governor.  For more on these recommendations, see page 8 of our first Education Legislative Report of 2010.

2.       The recommendations of the Committee on the Financing and Effectiveness of Public Education.  This committee’s recommendations were also detailed in our first Legislative Report of the year, and the recommendations are also their own separate draft bill also currently under consideration in House Education.  Look for more developments on these recommendations in future Education Legislative Reports.

Both approaches have proponents and opponents among  House and Senate committee members, and some legislators may prefer doing nothing at all on this issue. The hearing on Wednesday the 24th will therefore provide  an important  opportunity to inform legislators and to help them as they continue to consider  school district consolidation and merger policies.

Challenges for Change Bill Moves through Legislature; FY11 Implications?

In previous Education Legislative Reports, we have described the Challenges for Change report and process.  In brief, Challenges is a cost-cutting methodology whereby agencies and functions of state government are given specific budget reduction targets, and “challenges” (i.e., goals and priorities).  Executive-branch managers are expected to realize the budget reductions while meeting the challenges.

S.286 is the bill that will enact the recommendations of the Challenges report.  A version of S.286 has passed the Senate, and the bill is under consideration by the House today.  The House is considering a key amendment to S.286 that would specify that public education’s challenge is to reduce expenditures from the fiscal year 2011 education spending projections, as opposed to the fiscal year 2010 expenditures.  Under these guidelines, it appears that public school districts will be able to achieve the mandated savings of $13.3 million within the regular budget process.  The difference between 2011 budget projections and actual budgets is estimated to be approximately $20 million. 

Special education expenditures will still be expected to be reduced by $6 million from its fiscal year 2010 appropriation under both the House and Senate versions of the bill.

The Challenges bill also states the “challenge” (i.e., desired outcomes) for public education and special education.  What follows is that excerpt from the bill.

The outcomes for education for the focus on learning and special education challenges, each of which outcomes are [sic] equally important, are:

(1)   Increase electronic and distance learning opportunities that enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

(2)   Increase the secondary school graduation rates for all students.

(3)   Increase the aspiration, continuation, and completion rates for all students in connection with postsecondary education and training.

(4)   Increase administrative efficiencies within education governance in a manner that promotes student achievement.

(5)   Increase cost effectiveness in delivery of support services for students with individualized education plans.

(6)   Increase the use of early intervention strategies that enable students to be successful in the general education environment and help avoid the later need for more expensive interventions.

 

Design and implementation: Within four weeks of the enactment of this legislation, the persons to whom these challenges are issued shall provide the general assembly and the committees of jurisdiction with the following:

(1)   A progress report on the plan of implementation.

(2)   A request for any changes to or exemptions from existing law, rules, and regulations, or additional authority necessary to meet these challenges and achieve these outcomes.

(3)   A proposal for a system of accountability to measure success in meeting the challenges and achieving the outcomes. The proposed system shall include measures that are simple, objective, consistent, and based on data that are currently collected or could easily be collected. The proposed system shall also include a schedule for accountability in meeting these challenges and achieving these outcomes, and shall identify milestones, include assessments of effectiveness, and provide for quarterly meetings with the house and senate committees of jurisdiction. The proposed system shall be submitted for approval as provided in Sec. 10 of this act.

 

An important component of the challenges process is that the savings in education spending are expected to be found in administrative costs.  As we have explained in prior Reports, we believe the Challenges report grossly overstated the amount of administrative spending in the public school system.  We have not yet received an explanation of how the authors of Challenges arrived at administrative costs of $266 million annually. 

Representative Ann Manwaring of Wilmington has introduced an amendment to the bill in an effort to expand the definition of administration by allowing the definition to be determined by the state officials.  Here is an excerpt from her amendment.

… administration, which includes expenditures related to general administration, school administration, and other support services as defined in the Summary of Annual Statistical Report of Schools (SASRS) as determined by the commissioner of education in consultation with the secretary of administration….

We will continue to monitor the Challenges bill, and the implementation plan to be developed by the Department of Education, and will report on developments as they occur.

New Bills Introduced

The following education-related bills have been introduced by one or more members of the Legislature from January 23rd through February 18th.  To read any bill’s full text or see its current status in the legislative process, go to http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/status.cfm.

H.571 AN ACT RELATING TO THE REFUND OF A SUPERVISORY UNION BUDGET SURPLUS TO MEMBER DISTRICTS

Introduced by Representatives Obuchowski of Rockingham and Partidge of Windham

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to require a supervisory union to return to its member districts any budget surplus that exists at the end of the fiscal year, exclusive of amounts the supervisory union is required by law to carry forward into the next fiscal year.

 

H.573 AN ACT RELATING TO SUPERVISORY UNIONS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND MEDICAID FUNDS

Introduced by Representatives Obuchowski of Rockingham and Partidge of Windham

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to require a supervisory union or school district to use or encumber Medicaid funds within six months of receipt.

 

H.575 AN ACT RELATING TO HARASSMENT AND BULLYING IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

Introduced by Representatives Larson, Crawford, Edwards, Haas, McDonald, and Peltz

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to expand the definitions of “harassment” and “bullying” in the educational context to include actions committed electronically. It would permit school administrators to discipline students for actions conducted outside normal school hours and off school grounds if the action substantially undermined or interfered with a student’s educational performance or access to school resources or created an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. In addition, it would authorize use of nonschool resources to provide alternative education services to a student who has been suspended or expelled for harassing or bullying another student.

 

H.577 AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMMON LEVEL OF APPRAISAL

Introduced by Representatives Till, Botzow, Bray, Cheney, Conquest, Evans, French, Johnson, Lenes, Leriche, Martin, Masland, Moran, Pellet, Waite-Simpson, and Webb

Statement of Purpose: This bill proposes to change the date from December 1 to September 1 for when the commissioner of taxes notifies municipalities of the common level of appraisal.

 

H.581 AN ACT RELATING TO SAFETY BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES

Introduced by Representatives Smith, Bissonette, Burke, Edwards, Potter, Shand, Stevens, and Waite-Simpson

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to require that all seating positions on school buses of model year 2011 and later be equipped with federally approved safety belts.

 

H.595 AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Introduced by Representatives Larson, Fischer, and Pugh

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to improve the quality of child care and early learning programs for Vermont’s children and families by establishing a new model of collaboration between the state and child care providers that recognizes the critical importance of early childhood educators

in the delivery of high quality early childhood education.

 

H.597 AN ACT RELATING TO REQUIRING COMPETENCY EXAMINATIONS AS A CONDITION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATION

Introduced by Representative Sharpe of Bristol

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to require, as a condition of secondary school graduation, the achievement of a certificate of competency for the successful completion of examinations in math, reading, writing, and science.

 

H.602 AN ACT RELATING TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE STATE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF VERMONT

Introduced by Representatives Crawford, Cheney, Lawrence, Masland, and Wilson

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to ensure that teachers who were hired prior to July 1, 2009, are not required to be licensed in order to participate as members in the state teachers’ retirement system of Vermont.

 

H.612 AN ACT RELATING TO IMPROVING POSTSECONDARY READINESS THROUGH CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Introduce by Representative McDonald of Berlin

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to create a committee to study the structure and funding of career and technical education and propose ways in which they can be changed to increase the number of students who complete high school and who graduate with the skills, knowledge, habits, and attitudes needed to thrive as postsecondary students, employees, and citizens. The committee would also study ways to provide access to technical education for students enrolled in adult education programs.

 

H.613 AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHING THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZED LABOR AND THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS

Introduced by Representatives Davis, Fischer, Moran, Partridge, Poirer, Sharpe, and Zuckerman

Statement of Purpose: This bill proposes to include the history of organized labor and the collective bargaining process within the required minimum course of study relating to citizenship, history, and government in Vermont and the United States.

 

H.643 AN ACT RELATING TO PERMITTING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PAY TUITION TO SECTARIAN SCHOOLS

Introduced by Representatives Clark, Baker, Donaghy, Helm, McDonald, Mroely, Myers, O’Donnell and Turner

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to permit school districts to use public funds to pay tuition to approved independent schools with a religious affiliation if the religious aspects of the school are incidental to the school’s curriculum and academic mission, and the school does not require students for whom the district has paid tuition to enroll in religion classes or participate in religious observations.

 

H.649 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION POLICY, REPEAL OF TITLE 16, AND WAIVER OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT

Introduced by Representative Geier of South Burlington

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to: make a legislative statement regarding the purpose of education in Vermont; repeal Title 16 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated and direct the governor to develop and implement another system for the provision of education in Vermont; and request the governor to seek a waiver of the No Child Left Behind Act.

 

H.650 AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNICAL CENTER TUITION, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT ENROLLMENT, AND THE AWARD OF A TECHNICAL EDUCATION DEGREE

Introduced by Representative Mook of Bennington

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to permit the Southwest Vermont Career Development Center to enroll students on a space-available basis from the New York or Massachusetts portion of the Bennington regional labor market at a tuition equal to the local share of the tuition assessed for a student who resides in Vermont. It also permits a student to enroll in technical education courses outside the regular school day or school year and allows the sending district to calculate the student’s total attendance as being in excess of 1.0 full-time equivalent. In addition, it would allow technical centers that are serving as independent districts to award a technical education degree, provided the degree is not awarded in lieu of another secondary or postsecondary degree or certification. Finally, it would require a working group to develop ways to simplify and shorten the process by which technical education programs receive approval.

 

H.668 AN ACT RELATING TO AN INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR PRIVATE ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL TUITION

Introduced by Representative Branagan of Georgia

Statement of Purpose: This bill proposes to create an income tax credit for parents who pay tuition to send children to a private elementary or secondary school.

 

H.691 AN ACT RELATING TO BULLYING IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

Introduced by Representatives Partridge, Howard, Lorber, Marek, Pellett, Spengler, and Till

Statement of purpose: This bill is divided into three parts:

(1) First, it proposes to expand the definition of “bullying” in the educational context to include actions committed electronically. It would permit school administrators to discipline students for actions conducted outside normal school hours and off school grounds if the action substantially undermined or interfered with a student’s educational performance or access to school resources or created an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. In addition, it would authorize use of nonschool resources to provide alternative education services to a student who has been suspended or expelled for bullying another student.

(2) Second, the bill would require that bullying prevention and investigation policies are as stringent as those required in connection with harassment.

(3) Finally, the bill would establish bullying of a student by another student as a civil offense.

 

H.692 AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHING THE FRENCH, SPANISH, OR CHINESE LANGUAGE

Introduced by Representative Weston of Burlington

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to include study of the French, Spanish, or Chinese language within the required minimum course of study relating to basic communication skills.

 

H.693 AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHING THE METRIC SYSTEM

Introduced by Representative Weston of Burlington

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to include study of the metric system within the required minimum course of study relating to basic communication skills.

 

H.702 AN ACT RELATING TO THE TOWN OF CLARENDON EDUCATION PROPERTY TAX PAYMENT

Introduced by Representatives Potter of Clarendon and Baker of West Rutland

This bill proposes to correct an error in the education property tax payment made to the town of Clarendon.

 

H.705 AN ACT RELATING TO ESTABLISHING K–12 SCHOOL CHOICE IN VERMONT

Introduced by Representatives Komline, Adams, Ainsworth, Clark, Dickinson, Donahue, Fagan, Hubert, Johnson, Larocque, Marcotte, McAllister, McDonald, McNeil, Myers, O’Donnell, Peaslee, Turner, Winters, and Wright

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to create a voucher program to enable Vermont elementary and secondary students to attend any public or approved independent school in the state. It would also grant school districts the discretion to pay tuition for a resident student to attend an out-of-state school, provided the district’s payment did not exceed the base education amount for the year of enrollment.

 

H.706 AN ACT RELATING TO THE CONSOLIDATION AND REDUCTION OF SUPERVISORY UNIONS, SUPERVISORY DISTRICTS, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Introduced by Representatives Komline, Adams, Ainsworth, Branagan, Dickinson, Donaghy, Fagan, Hubert, Lawrence, Lewis, Marcotte, McDonald, McFaun, McNeil, Myers, O’Donnell, Reis, Savage, Shaw, Turner, Winters, and Young

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to create a bipartisan commission of legislative and nonlegislative members appointed by the speaker of the house, the committee on committees, and the governor to develop a plan to consolidate and reduce the number of supervisory unions, supervisory districts, and school districts in the state. The commission’s plan, which would be based on testimony received in public hearings and would employ a methodology used in connection with military base closings, would be presented to the general assembly for its approval or disapproval during the 2011 legislative session.

 

H.707 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION PROGRAMS, EXISTING SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND PROPERTY TAX RATES

Introduced by Representatives Kilmartin of Newport City and Marcotte of Coventry

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to require amendments to rules concerning the effect that the creation or expansion of a prekindergarten education program operated by or through a school district or supervisory union will have on existing service providers and property tax rates.

 

H.708 AN ACT RELATING TO STUDENTS WITH CONCUSSIONS PARTICIPATING IN SCHOOL ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES

Introduced by Representative Till and 49 others

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to ensure that a student suffering or suspected to be suffering from a concussion does not participate in school athletic activities until one day after (1) all symptoms disappear and (2) receiving an examination by and written permission to participate from a licensed medical professional.

 

H.709 AN ACT RELATING TO CREATING A PREKINDERGARTEN–16 COUNCIL

Introduced by Representatives Peltz, Clark, Donovan, Geier, Gilbert, Jerman, Mook, Waite-Simpson, and Zenie

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to create a new council to integrate the educational programs and policies of Vermont’s public schools and postsecondary institutions. It would also eliminate the commission on higher education funding and require the University of Vermont, the Vermont State Colleges, and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, Inc. jointly to assume the commission’s responsibilities.

 

H.710 AN ACT RELATING TO MILITARY FAMILY EDUCATIONAL FLEXIBILITY

Introduced by Representatives Donovan, and Olsen of Jamaica

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to provide those Vermont families that include a parent who has been or may be deployed for federal military service with the flexibility to enroll their children in any public school in the state in order to provide educational continuity for the children and to decrease logistical and other daily anxieties for the family. The bill also proposes to permit both the school district in which the student is enrolled and the district in which the student resides to include the student within their average daily memberships. The costs of special education would be paid directly from the education fund in the same manner as those costs are paid for state-placed students.

 

H.730 AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS

Introduced by Representatives Wright, Hubert, and McAllister

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to ensure that supervisory unions and school districts have adequate information when considering a teacher’s application for employment.

 

H.755 AN ACT RELATING TO CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING

Introduced by Representative Scheuermann of Stowe

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to make changes to the structure of education governance and finance while ensuring substantial equality of educational opportunity for all students throughout Vermont.

(1)    The bill would eliminate existing supervisory unions and replace them with 14 or 15 education districts (“EDs”). The boundaries of the new EDs would be roughly the same as the current regional technical center districts. If the voters of a current school district approved, the current school district could seek permission from the commissioner of education to join a different ED.

(2)    The bill would replace local school district boards with advisory councils, which would focus on academic policy and educational quality.

(3)    Each ED would assume the powers, responsibilities, assets, and liabilities of the current school districts and supervisory unions within its boundaries. Among other things, the ED would be responsible for:

a.       all aspects of special education, including 1 the hiring of special educators, the assignment of their services to schools within the ED, and the development of individualized education plans (“IEP”); provided, however, that each student’s IEP team shall consist of those individuals required by state board of education rule 2363.4 and representatives from the ED;

b.      the purchase and distribution of supplies to all schools within the ED;

c.       financial and student data management for all schools within the ED;

d.      transportation services; and

e.      the hiring of all educators, administrators, and staff employed within the ED, with contracts negotiated and executed at the ED level.

(4)    The bill would provide students with the option to attend any elementary or secondary school within the district. Each ED would work with its advisory councils to develop procedures to ensure that no school exceeds its capacity. The bill would also create a transition period during which any student attending a school outside the ED would be permitted to complete his or her education at that school.

(5)    Differences among schools would be respected. In order to facilitate school choice, however, each ED would work with its advisory councils toward the goal of adopting common standards, requirements, curriculum, and scheduling to the extent possible.

(6)    Within two months after formation, the new ED would be required to complete an inventory of all existing special education services available at schools within the ED. The ED would develop a proposal for a more efficient way to deliver services and allocate resources within the ED pursuant to guidelines to be developed by the state board of education. The ED would provide both the inventory and the proposal to the commissioner of education for review.

(7)    The department would create, maintain, and make available to the public current data from the EDs, including:

 

a.       the total cost of providing special education services within each ED;

b.      a breakdown of special education costs by disability category; and

c.        measurable academic and other outcomes for students with IEPs.

(8)    The department would develop and publicize guidelines related to:

a.       best practices for both the cost and the provision of special education services that are based upon the proposals provided by EDs pursuant to subdivision (6) and the data collected pursuant to subdivision (7) of this statement of purpose;

b.      the maximum and optimal costs for providing  special education services in connection with distinct disabilities;

c.       the criteria by which IEP teams would assess the need for specific special education services; and

d.      the training and supervision of staff providing special education services.

(9)    The bill would eliminate the statewide education property tax system. Each ED would develop an ED-wide budget and would be empowered to assess a property tax within the ED to fund the budget. Funds raised through the ED-wide property tax would remain in and be distributed by the ED. Nonproperty tax funds would continue to be paid into the statewide education fund and would be used for categorical aid to the EDs and to ensure substantial equality of educational opportunity for all students throughout Vermont.

(10)                        The bill would eliminate the common level of appraisal and replace it with a rolling reappraisal conducted within each ED.

 

H.762 AN ACT RELATING TO NARROWING THE ELIGIBILITY FOR SMALL SCHOOL SUPPORT

Introduced by Representative Mook of Bennington

This bill proposes to limit the amount of aid given to support small schools, which is currently provided to any school district with either a two-year average combined enrollment of fewer than 100 students or an average grade size of 20 or fewer, by limiting aid eligibility to any district that has a two-year average combined enrollment of fewer than 100 students.

 

H.764 AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF VERMONT

Introduced by the House Committee on Government Operations

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to make changes to the state teachers’ retirement system of Vermont as follows:

(1)    adjust the duration of service needed before a teacher qualifies for a normal retirement allowance;

(2)    increase the employees’ share of the costs of the system;

(3)    increase the percentage of “average final compensation” teachers may be paid in retirement;

(4)    make available to teachers, upon retirement and in exchange for increased length of service, a health benefit component for their spouses;

(5)     reduce the state’s actuarially determined annual required contribution to the system;

(6)    strengthen the annual obligation of the state to fund the system to the level actuarially determined to be necessary; and

(7)    tighten standards for determining average final compensation.

 

S.286 AN ACT RELATING TO CHALLENGES FOR CHANGE

Introduced by the Senate Committee on Appropriations

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to challenge policy makers, administrators, service providers, and school administrators to design outcome-driven changes in service and performance, to implement these changes with reduced state funding, and to maintain accountability for meeting goals through clear measures of outcome achievement.