NEWS RELEASES 1997-98

1998 SUPLEMENTAL BUDGET

High Student Achievement | Quality Administrators, Teachers & Staff | Efficient and Effective Operations | Safe and Orderly Schools

High Student Achievement

• $99 million for incentive awards for certified staff and teacher assistants in schools meeting and exceeding their ABCs goals for 1998-99;
• $24 million to low-performing schools to help raise student achievement by providing a base allocation, then additional formula-directed differential awards for schools with the greatest needs;
• $2.8 million for Advanced Placement (AP) tests and International Baccalaureate tests and staff development for teachers in these areas;
• $4.2 million for additions to the testing program;
• $30.6 million to reduce grade three class size to one teacher and one teacher assistant for each 23 students;
• $10 million to provide additional services to assist Limited English Proficiency students;
• $25 million for Children with Special Needs, $3.7 million for Academically Gifted children, $3.6 million reserve for Severely Disabled Children;
• $52.8 million in continuation adjustments for student population growth to maintain progress on current initiatives (teachers, assistants, students with special needs).

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Quality Administrators, Teachers & Staff

• $193 million to continue the second year (6.5% salary increase) of the four-year Excellent Schools Act (ESA) goal to raise teacher salaries to the national average by the year 2000;
• $14.7 million to continue the mentor program for first-year teachers as outlined in the ESA, and expand it to serve second-year teachers and student teachers, including three additional days of employment for new teachers to cover orientation and classroom preparation;
• $1.6 million to develop a new teacher evaluation instrument to replace the Teacher Performance Appraisal Instrument (TPAI) and for new evaluation criteria for professional school personnel;
• $3.5 million to fund an additional forfeited teacher vacation day based on school and school system changes in the school year calendar (increases maximum to five days);
• $2.3 million for application fees and up to three days paid leave for teachers to apply for certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, another ESA component;
• $35.9 million for three days extended staff development for all teachers;
• $35.9 million to extend months of employment for some teachers;
• $15.8 million to increase certified substitute teacher pay to 75% of beginning teacher's rate;
• $5.7 million to increase teacher assistants to the State Board-approved pay grade;
• $4.2 million to reinstate the 3% pay differential between assistant principals'/principals' salary schedule and the teacher salary schedule.

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Efficient and Effective Operations

• $6 million for first-year work on replacing the Student Information Management System (SIMS);
• $71 million for school technology;
• $160,000 in increased licensing fees to provide four additional licensing specialists (requires no new money but approval of fee increase);
• $144,000 to fully fund State Information Processing Services (SIPS) charges;
• $491,000 for five additional DPI positions and two auditor positions (in the State Treasurer's office) for state-level administration of charter schools;
• $20 million to avoid reducing an LEA's allotment the first year it is affected by students leaving the LEA to attend a local charter school;
• $9 million to cover workers' compensation rising costs, rising claims;
• $5.7 million for replacement of 13-year or older school buses.

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Safe and Orderly Schools

• $10.5 million to allow systems to employ school resource officers (SROs) in 352 middle schools;
• $31.7 million for at-risk student services/alternative schools (743 schools serving grades 6-12) to provide one additional instructional support position in each school;
• $500,000 to provide statewide sports medicine program.

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