Senate Bill No. 427–Committee on Finance

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to education; making appropriations to the Department of Education for educational technology and for signing bonuses for teachers; making an appropriation to the legislative fund for use by the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program Evaluation for an evaluation of educational technology; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

   Section 1. 1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general

fund to the Department of Education the sum of $9,950,000 for educational

technology.

   2.  The Department of Education shall distribute the money

appropriated by subsection 1 as follows:

   (a) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant money to

local school districts for schools within the school district to acquire the

minimal level of educational technology that is necessary to provide a

networked computer for each classroom, as recommended by the

Commission:

     (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002   $1,250,000

     (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003   $1,250,000

   (b) For the Commission on Educational Technology to provide grants to

local school districts for the repair, replacement or upgrade of computer

hardware and software, including, without limitation, contracts for

maintenance:

     (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002   $2,500,000

     (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003........... $2,500,000

   (c) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to local

school districts for hardware, software and contracting services to provide

or enhance technical support to the school districts:

     (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002   $625,000

     (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003   $625,000

   (d) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to local

school districts for pilot programs that demonstrate best practices for the

use of educational technology to improve the achievement of pupils:

     (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002   $150,000

     (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003   $150,000

   (e) For the Commission on Educational Technology to distribute for the

KLVX Distance Learning Satellite Service......... $400,000

   (f) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to the

Division of State Library and Archives of the Department of Museums,

Library and Arts for licenses to allow school libraries access to research

databases and other on-line resources appropriate for pupils   $500,000

   3.  The sums appropriated by paragraphs (a) to (d), inclusive, of

subsection 1 are available for either fiscal year. Any balance of those sums

must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to

the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

been made.

   4.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by paragraphs (e)

and (f) of subsection 1 must not be committed for expenditure after

June 30, 2003, and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments

of money committed have been made.

   Sec. 2.  1.  To receive a grant of money pursuant to section 1 of this

act, a school district must:

   (a) Complete forms provided by the Superintendent of Public

Instruction.

   (b) Submit a written request to the Commission on Educational

Technology that identifies the schools within the school district which need

educational technology and the financial needs of those schools to obtain

the educational technology.

   (c) Submit a plan to the Commission on Educational Technology for the

use of educational technology to improve the instruction and academic

achievement of pupils, based upon the most recent version of the plan

adopted by the Commission pursuant to NRS 388.795 for the use of

educational technology in the public schools of this state. A school district

may, as part of its plan and upon approval of the Commission, elect to use

refurbished computers that do not meet the technical standards established

by the Commission.

   (d) Submit a plan for evaluation in accordance with guidelines

submitted by the Commission on Educational Technology that includes the

effectiveness of the use of educational technology in improving the

academic achievement of pupils.

   (e) Provide any additional information requested by the Commission on

Educational Technology.

   2.  The Commission on Educational Technology shall determine the

amount of money that must be distributed to school districts based upon the

needs of each school district and the wealth of the school district relative to

the other school districts in this state.

   3.  A school district that receives a grant of money pursuant to section 1

of this act shall:

   (a) Account for the money separately; and

   (b) Use the money to supplement, and not replace, the money that the

school district would otherwise expend for educational technology.

   4.  A school district that receives a grant of money pursuant to section 1

of this act shall not use the money to:

   (a) Settle or arbitrate disputes or negotiate settlements between an

organization that represents licensed employees of the school district and

the school district.

   (b) Adjust the schedules of salaries and benefits of the employees of the

school district.

   5.  On or before January 1, 2003, each school district that receives a

grant of money pursuant to section 1 of this act shall submit to the

Department of Education and the Commission on Educational Technology

a written report in the format required by the Department. The report must

include, without limitation:

   (a) A statement of the amount of money distributed to the school district

pursuant to section 1 of this act;

   (b) A record of the manner in which the money was expended;

   (c) The purposes of each such expenditure; and

   (d) Any other expenditures for similar purposes from other money

available to the school district.

   6.  On or before February 1, 2003, the Department of Education shall

submit a written summary to the Governor, the Commission on

Educational Technology and the Director of the Legislative Counsel

Bureau for transmission to the 72nd session of the Nevada Legislature. The

written summary must include, without limitation:

   (a) The name of each school district that received a grant of money

pursuant to section 1 of this act; and

   (b) A compilation of the reports submitted to the Department pursuant

to subsection 5.

   Sec. 3.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

to the legislative fund created by NRS 218.085 the sum of $50,000 for use

by the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program

Evaluation to hire a qualified, independent consultant to conduct an

evaluation of educational technology.

   2.  The Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program

Evaluation shall, after consulting with the Commission on Educational

Technology, use the money appropriated by subsection 1 to hire a

qualified, independent consultant to conduct an evaluation of the

effectiveness of educational technology in improving the achievement of

pupils, to identify issues relating to the implementation of educational

technology and to identify best practices relating to the use of educational

technology to improve the achievement of pupils.

   3.  The consultant shall provide to the Legislative Committee on

Education, upon the request of the Committee, an interim report of the

progress of the consultant. On or before February 1, 2003, the consultant

hired pursuant to subsection 2 shall submit a written report of the results of

his evaluation to the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and

Program Evaluation. On or before February 19, 2003, the Legislative

Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program Evaluation shall submit

a copy of the written report and any recommendations for legislation to the

Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the 72nd

session of the Nevada Legislature.

   4.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1

must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to

the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

been made.

   Sec. 4.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

to the Department of Education the sum of $10,000,000 to provide signing

bonuses to teachers who are newly hired by school districts for the 2001-

2002 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. A newly hired teacher

may not receive a signing bonus until he has taught for a school district in

this state for at least 30 days. A teacher may not receive more than one

signing bonus pursuant to this section. A teacher who teaches for a school

district in this state before the effective date of this act and who

subsequently transfers to another school district in this state is not eligible

to receive a signing bonus pursuant to this section.

   2.  A school district that wishes to provide signing bonuses to its newly

hired teachers shall submit information to the Department of Education, in

a format prescribed by the Department, concerning the number of teachers

who are newly hired by the school district to teach for the 2001-2002

school year and the 2002-2003 school year. A school district shall submit a

request for each fiscal year that it wishes to provide signing bonuses

pursuant to this section.

   3.  The Department of Education shall use the money appropriated by

subsection 1 to provide signing bonuses to teachers who are newly hired

for the 2001-2002 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. The

Department shall analyze the total number of newly hired teachers for the

2001-2002 school year and determine the total amount of money to be

allocated for fiscal year 2001-2002 in a manner which will ensure that an

adequate amount of money is available for signing bonuses for fiscal year

2002-2003. If necessary, the Department shall adjust the amount of each

signing bonus for fiscal year 2001-2002 to ensure that an adequate amount

of money is available to provide signing bonuses to newly hired teachers

for fiscal year 2002-2003. The amount of a bonus paid to each teacher:

   (a) In fiscal year 2001-2002 must not exceed $2,000.

   (b) In fiscal year 2002-2003 must not exceed $2,500.

   4.  No additional money will be appropriated by the Legislature for the

purpose of providing signing bonuses for teachers for the 2001-2003

biennium.

   5.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1

must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to

the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

been made.

   Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

 

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