Senate Bill No. 417–Senator Schneider

 

March 19, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Requires combined expenditure per pupil for public schools to equal or exceed national average. (BDR 32-968)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: Yes.

                                    Effect on the State: Yes.

 

CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§ 2)

(Not Requested by Affected Local Government)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to public education; requiring the expenditure of state and local money per pupil in kindergarten through 12th grade in public schools to equal or exceed the national average; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. Chapter 360 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a

1-2  new section to read as follows:

1-3    1.  On or before March 15 of each even-numbered year, the executive

1-4  director shall determine the national average for the total amount of

1-5  money expended, by state and local governments combined, per pupil in

1-6  kindergarten through the 12th grade of public schools for the

1-7  immediately preceding calendar year.

1-8    2.  On or before April 15 of each even-numbered year, the Nevada tax

1-9  commission shall certify the accuracy of the national average determined

1-10  by the executive director pursuant to subsection 1.

1-11    3.  As soon as practicable after the certification required by

1-12  subsection 2, the executive director shall notify each school district of the

1-13  national average so certified.

1-14    Sec. 2.  Chapter 387 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a

1-15  new section to read as follows:

1-16    1.  Each school district shall include in its tentative and final budgets

1-17  an amount of money to be expended per pupil which, when added to the

1-18  basic support guarantee per pupil established by law for the school year

1-19  immediately preceding the year in which the budget is prepared, will

1-20  ensure that the total amount of money expended per pupil in the year for

2-1  which the budget is being prepared is equal to or exceeds the most

2-2  current national average for the total amount of money expended, by

2-3  state and local governments combined, per pupil in kindergarten through

2-4  the 12th grade of public schools as certified by the Nevada tax

2-5  commission pursuant to section 1 of this act.

2-6    2.  The money required to be included in the tentative and final

2-7  budgets of a school district by subsection 1 must be in addition to and not

2-8  included in the local funds available for public schools determined

2-9  pursuant to NRS 387.1235.

2-10    Sec. 3.  NRS 387.1211 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-11    387.1211  As used in NRS 387.121 to 387.126, inclusive[:] , and

2-12  section 2 of this act:

2-13    1.  “Average daily attendance” means the total number of pupils

2-14  attending a particular school each day during a period of reporting divided

2-15  by the number of days school is in session during that period.

2-16    2.  “Enrollment” means the count of pupils enrolled in and scheduled to

2-17  attend programs of instruction of a school district or a charter school at a

2-18  specified time during the school year.

2-19    3.  “Special education program unit” means an organized unit of

2-20  special education and related services which includes full-time services of

2-21  persons licensed by the superintendent of public instruction or other

2-22  appropriate licensing body, providing a program of instruction in

2-23  accordance with minimum standards prescribed by the state board.

2-24    Sec. 4.  This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

 

2-25  H