Advocacy in Action
This page is your home for all things legislative and advocacy related. We have an update from our lobbyist at the Capitol each week, summaries of important bills, and then steps for you to get involved!
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Under the Golden Dome
Week three is in the books and what a whirlwind it has been. This week was shortened due to the President’s visit which seemed to lead legislators to want to have SO MANY subcommittees in just a couple of days! The end of this week also marks the three-week deadline for bills to pass out of a committee in either chamber by Feb. 20.
The Senate is poised to unveil their proposal on SSA next week. We expect that number to be less than the 2% proposed by Governor Reynolds. The House chatter suggests they will likely come in at the governor’s level, setting us up for some long negotiations. Will this be resolved by the Feb. 13 deadline? I wouldn’t take that bet. Check out our advocacy action of the week to see how you can help educate legislators about what your district is facing with increasing costs and how it impacts your budget.
The House held subcommittees this week on their property tax proposal (HSB 596) and the governor’s property tax proposal (HSB 563). The subcommittees were more of a “check the box” to move the bills forward, however they provided little insight into how this issue is going to develop. The House and the governor are the closest in terms of proposal, and talks are ongoing on how to reach a broader agreement.
What can you expect in the next few weeks? Lots of subcommittees on all the bills that have been introduced. How many of them actually see committee action remains to be seen. We have a long way to go to the end of the legislative session, so stay tuned and stay engaged.
Under the Golden Dome Video
Advocacy Action of the Week
Contact your legislators, especially your senators, about setting supplemental state aid (SSA) soon and at a sustainable level. When you talk to your senator, share what low school funding will mean for your district:
If you have declining enrollment, you’ll be on the budget guarantee, which falls back on property taxes.
Little new money makes it harder to meet teacher salary minimums or provide raises for high-quality staff.
It’s harder to keep up with the increasing expenses of simply running a district: utilities, fuel, insurance for your employees.
You can’t invest in new and innovative programs for your students.
SAVE Revenue Loss Tool
Governor Reynolds has released her property tax proposal. The bill is a fairly comprehensive change to the system and includes provisions related to school districts, most notably the amount of SAVE dollars that will be diverted to property tax relief through the Property Tax Equity and Relief Fund (PTER). Her proposal intends to increase the amount of SAVE revenue going to PTER to 30% by 2030. For comparison, 7% of SAVE revenue currently goes into PTER. To see the impact of this proposed legislation on your district, use our new SAVE Revenue Loss Tool.
Bills on the Move
HSB 533—Baccalaureate Degrees at Community Colleges: This bill allows community colleges to offer degree programs that lead to a baccalaureate degree in high-demand areas.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We think this could lead to more opportunities for students to earn an education degree and become teachers, helping to alleviate some of our teacher shortage. The bill passed the House Higher Education Committee.
HF 2189—Notice Requirements for Construction Contracts: This bill requires public entities, like a school district, to provide written notice to contractors and subcontractors within 14 days of accepting a final bid. There is no liability if a district does not comply.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think contractors can already attend a board meeting or look at board meeting minutes to receive this information, but it is not a large burden on districts. The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee.
HF 2203—Epi Pens and Nasal Sprays: This bill simply adds nasal sprays that deliver epinephrine as allowable for students to use at school, in addition to an epi-pen.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. It does not substantially change anything for schools or require anything extra. The bill passed the House Health and Human Services Committee.
HF 2230—Teacher Prep Programs: This bill, introduced by the Department of Education (DE), would make changes to the requirements of the state’s teacher preparation programs:
Require all students complete a minimum of 15 hours of practicum related to differentiation of instruction for special education students and English learners.
For an endorsement in English learner instruction, a minimum of 40 hours of practicum will be required.
Administer an end-of-program summative assessment, designed to assess the student’s content endorsement area preparedness.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We are supportive of providing more instruction and experiences for all teacher candidates in differentiated instruction and English language instruction. We appreciate clarification from the DE that the summative assessment is not required for either graduation or licensure, but question if it’s necessary. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2231—Civics Excellence Program and Seal: This bill directs the Department of Education to develop a civics excellence program that can lead a student to receive a civics seal on their high school diploma.
IASB is registered in favor of the bill. We appreciate that participating in the program will be voluntary from districts and want to recognize students who take an interest in civics. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2244—Social Studies Instruction Requirements: This bill requires school districts to offer and teach one unit of government, increasing it from the currently required one-half unit. The committee amended the bill to also include that districts must teach civics and U.S. government in 7th or 8th grade.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate the emphasis on ensuring students have adequate knowledge of civics and government but want to ensure that schools have time to adjust to provide the required instruction. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
SF 274/HF 2247—Requiring Schools to Accept Cash at Events: This bill requires school districts to accept cash at athletic and extracurricular events hosted in their district.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We would prefer that this is a local decision and caution that dealing with cash can lead to misplaced funds or fraud. The bill passed the Senate and House Education Committees.
SF 2005—Operational Sharing for CTE Instructors: This bill would allow districts to receive supplemental funding through operational sharing if they choose to share a career and technical education instructor. The weighting would be equal to three pupils.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We are always supportive of operational sharing opportunities, especially in a hard-to-fill and expensive areas like CTE. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2006—Recess Requirements: This bill requires schools to provide at least 30 minutes of physical activity outside of PE each day for students in grades K-5.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We understand that activity throughout the day is important for younger students, but we think the decision on how to accomplish that should be decided locally. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2007—Operational Sharing for School Resource Officers (SRO): This bill would increase the weighting for supplemental funding that districts receive through operational sharing if they choose to share a school resource officer. The weighting would increase to five pupils.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We are always supportive of operational sharing opportunities, particularly this increased weighting because the SRO position is expensive. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2144—Transfer of Funds to Flexibility Account: This bill allows districts to transfer unexpended Teacher Salary Supplement (TSS) funds to their flexibility account. It also removes the requirement that a board hold a public hearing prior to transferring funds to the flexibility account.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We like that it offers districts more flexibility and takes away the burdensome requirement of a public hearing. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
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