(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)
SECOND REPRINT S.B. 427
Senate Bill No. 427–Committee on Finance
(On Behalf of Department of Administration—Budget Division)
March 21, 2001
____________
Referred to Committee on Finance
SUMMARY—Makes appropriations for educational technology, textbooks and signing bonuses for teachers. (BDR S‑1349)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation included in Executive Budget.
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EXPLANATION
– Matter in bolded italics is new; matter
between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).
AN ACT relating to education; making appropriations to the Department of Education for educational technology, textbooks and 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:
1-1 Section 1. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general
1-2 fund to the Department of Education the sum of $2,450,000 for educational
1-3 technology.
1-4 2. The Department of Education shall distribute the money
1-5 appropriated by subsection 1 as follows:
1-6 (a) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to local
1-7 school districts for hardware, software and contracting services to provide
1-8 or enhance technical support to the school districts:
1-9 (1) For the fiscalyear 2001-2002.......... $625,000
1-10 (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003......... $625,000
1-11 (b) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to local
1-12 school districts for pilot programs that demonstrate best practices for the
1-13 use of educational technology to improve the achievement of pupils:
1-14 (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002......... $150,000
1-15 (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003......... $150,000
1-16 (c) For the Commission on Educational Technology to distribute for the
1-17 KLVX Distance Learning Service............ $400,000
1-18 (d) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to the
1-19 Division of State Library and Archives of the Department of Cultural
2-1 Affairs for licenses to allow public schools and libraries access to research
2-2 databases and other on-line resources appropriate for pupils $500,000
2-3 3. The sums appropriated by paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection 2 are
2-4 available for either fiscal year. Any balance of those sums must not be
2-5 committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to the state
2-6 general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have been made.
2-7 4. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by paragraphs (c)
2-8 and (d) of subsection 2 must not be committed for expenditure after June
2-9 30, 2003, and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments of
2-10 money committed have been made.
2-11 Sec. 2. 1. To receive a grant of money pursuant to paragraphs (a)
2-12 and (b) of subsection 1 of section 1 of this act, a school district must:
2-13 (a) Complete forms provided by the Superintendent of Public
2-14 Instruction.
2-15 (b) Submit a written request to the Commission on Educational
2-16 Technology that identifies the schools within the school district which need
2-17 educational technology and the financial needs of those schools to obtain
2-18 the educational technology.
2-19 (c) Submit a plan to the Commission on Educational Technology for the
2-20 use of educational technology to improve the instruction and academic
2-21 achievement of pupils, based upon the most recent version of the plan
2-22 adopted by the Commission pursuant to NRS 388.795 for the use of
2-23 educational technology in the public schools of this state. A school district
2-24 may, as part of its plan and upon approval of the Commission, elect to use
2-25 refurbished computers that do not meet the technical standards established
2-26 by the Commission.
2-27 (d) Submit a plan for evaluation in accordance with guidelines
2-28 submitted by the Commission on Educational Technology that includes the
2-29 effectiveness of the use of educational technology in improving the
2-30 academic achievement of pupils.
2-31 (e) Provide any additional information requested by the Commission on
2-32 Educational Technology.
2-33 2. The Commission on Educational Technology shall determine the
2-34 amount of money that must be distributed to school districts based upon the
2-35 needs of each school district and the wealth of the school district relative to
2-36 the other school districts in this state.
2-37 3. A school district that receives a grant of money pursuant to section 1
2-38 of this act shall:
2-39 (a) Account for the money separately; and
2-40 (b) Use the money to supplement, and not replace, the money that the
2-41 school district would otherwise expend for educational technology.
2-42 4. A school district that receives a grant of money pursuant to section 1
2-43 of this act shall not use the money to:
2-44 (a) Settle or arbitrate disputes or negotiate settlements between an
2-45 organization that represents licensed employees of the school district and
2-46 the school district.
2-47 (b) Adjust the schedules of salaries and benefits of the employees of the
2-48 school district.
3-1 5. On or before January 1, 2003, each school district that receives a
3-2 grant of money pursuant to section 1 of this act shall submit to the
3-3 Department of Education and the Commission on Educational Technology
3-4 a written report in the format required by the Department. The report must
3-5 include, without limitation:
3-6 (a) A statement of the amount of money distributed to the school district
3-7 pursuant to section 1 of this act;
3-8 (b) A record of the manner in which the money was expended;
3-9 (c) The purposes of each such expenditure; and
3-10 (d) Any other expenditures for similar purposes from other money
3-11 available to the school district.
3-12 6. On or before February 1, 2003, the Department of Education shall
3-13 submit a written summary to the Governor, the Commission on
3-14 Educational Technology and the Director of the Legislative Counsel
3-15 Bureau for transmission to the 72nd session of the Nevada Legislature. The
3-16 written summary must include, without limitation:
3-17 (a) The name of each school district that received a grant of money
3-18 pursuant to section 1 of this act; and
3-19 (b) A compilation of the reports submitted to the Department pursuant
3-20 to subsection 5.
3-21 Sec. 3. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund
3-22 to the legislative fund created by NRS 218.085 the sum of $50,000 for use
3-23 by the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program
3-24 Evaluation to hire a qualified, independent consultant to conduct an
3-25 evaluation of educational technology.
3-26 2. The Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program
3-27 Evaluation shall, after consulting with the Commission on Educational
3-28 Technology, use the money appropriated by subsection 1 to hire a
3-29 qualified, independent consultant to conduct an evaluation of the
3-30 effectiveness of educational technology in improving the achievement of
3-31 pupils, to identify issues relating to the implementation of educational
3-32 technology and to identify best practices relating to the use of educational
3-33 technology to improve the achievement of pupils.
3-34 3. The consultant shall provide to the Legislative Committee on
3-35 Education, upon the request of the Committee, an interim report of the
3-36 progress of the consultant. On or before February 1, 2003, the consultant
3-37 hired pursuant to subsection 2 shall submit a written report of the results of
3-38 his evaluation to the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and
3-39 Program Evaluation. On or before February 19, 2003, the Legislative
3-40 Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program Evaluation shall submit
3-41 a copy of the written report and any recommendations for legislation to the
3-42 Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the 72nd
3-43 session of the Nevada Legislature.
3-44 4. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1
3-45 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to
3-46 the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have
3-47 been made.
4-1 Sec. 3.5. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund
4-2 to the Department of Education for textbooks and workbooks:
4-3 For the fiscal year 2001-2002........... $3,750,000
4-4 For the fiscal year 2002-2003........... $3,750,000
4-5 2. The board of trustees of a school district may submit an application
4-6 to the Department of Education for an allocation of money pursuant to this
4-7 section. The application must include, without limitation, a plan that sets
4-8 forth the manner in which the school district will use the money to:
4-9 (a) Eliminate the use of shared classroom book sets in the public
4-10 schools within the school district which must remain in the classroom; and
4-11 (b) Provide each pupil enrolled in a public school of the school district
4-12 with a textbook for each class in which a textbook is used and an
4-13 accompanying workbook, if applicable, that the pupil may use at home for
4-14 educational purposes.
4-15 The plan must include a detailed description of the grade levels and subject
4-16 areas for which the textbooks and workbooks will be purchased.
4-17 3. Upon receipt of an application pursuant to subsection 2, the
4-18 Department of Education shall review the application and make
4-19 recommendations jointly with the Budget Division of the Department of
4-20 Administration and the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability
4-21 and Program Evaluation. The joint recommendation of the amount of the
4-22 allocation must be transmitted to the Superintendent of Public Instruction
4-23 for his consideration. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall
4-24 determine the amount of the allocation for each school district whose
4-25 application is approved for the 2001-2002 fiscal year and the 2002-2003
4-26 fiscal year. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is not bound to follow
4-27 the joint recommendation.
4-28 4. A school district that receives an allocation of money pursuant to
4-29 this section shall use the money for each school year that the school district
4-30 receives an allocation to:
4-31 (a) Purchase a sufficient number of textbooks and accompanying
4-32 workbooks, if applicable, to eliminate the use of classroom book sets and
4-33 to provide each pupil enrolled in a public school of the school district with
4-34 a textbook for each class in which a textbook is used and an accompanying
4-35 workbook that the pupil may take home for educational purposes.
4-36 (b) Supplement and not replace the amount of money that the school
4-37 district would otherwise expend for the purchase of textbooks and
4-38 workbooks.
4-39 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of NRS 387.207 to the contrary, a
4-40 school district that receives an allocation of money pursuant to this section
4-41 shall expend, for the purchase of textbooks and workbooks for each school
4-42 year that it receives an allocation, an amount of money that is at least equal
4-43 to the average amount of money that was expended per pupil by the school
4-44 district in the school year immediately preceding the school year for which
4-45 the allocation is made for the purchase of textbooks and workbooks, not
4-46 including the amount of money received from a previous allocation
4-47 pursuant to this section.
4-48 6. The Department of Education shall submit a written report setting
4-49 forth the uses of the money by school districts that received allocations and
5-1 evaluating the effectiveness of those uses in eliminating the use of
5-2 classroom book sets in schools. The written report must be submitted to the
5-3 Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau on or before February 1, 2003,
5-4 for transmission to the 72nd session of the Nevada Legislature.
5-5 7. The sums appropriated by subsection 1 are available for either fiscal
5-6 year. Any balance of those sums must not be committed for expenditure
5-7 after June 30, 2003, and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all
5-8 payments of money committed have been made.
5-9 Sec. 4. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund
5-10 to the Department of Education the sum of $10,000,000 to provide signing
5-11 bonuses to teachers who are newly hired by school districts for the 2001-
5-12 2002 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. A teacher may not
5-13 receive more than one signing bonus pursuant to this section. A teacher
5-14 who teaches for a school district in this state before the effective date of
5-15 this act and who subsequently transfers to another school district in this
5-16 state is not eligible to receive a signing bonus pursuant to this section.
5-17 2. A teacher may not receive a signing bonus:
5-18 (a) Until he has taught for a school district in this state for at least 30
5-19 days; and
5-20 (b) Unless he submits a written statement indicating that the teacher
5-21 understands that if he does not teach in a public school in this state for at
5-22 least 2 years after the date on which he receives the signing bonus, he will
5-23 be required to repay the signing bonus in full to the Department of
5-24 Education.
5-25 3. A school district that wishes to provide signing bonuses to its newly
5-26 hired teachers shall submit information to the Department of Education, in
5-27 a format prescribed by the Department, concerning the number of teachers
5-28 who are newly hired by the school district to teach for the 2001-2002
5-29 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. A school district shall submit a
5-30 request for each fiscal year that it wishes to provide signing bonuses
5-31 pursuant to this section.
5-32 4. The Department of Education shall use the money appropriated by
5-33 subsection 1 to provide signing bonuses to teachers who are newly hired
5-34 for the 2001-2002 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. The
5-35 Department shall analyze the total number of newly hired teachers for the
5-36 2001-2002 school year and determine the total amount of money to be
5-37 allocated for fiscal year 2001-2002 in a manner which will ensure that an
5-38 adequate amount of money is available for signing bonuses for fiscal year
5-39 2002-2003. If necessary, the Department shall adjust the amount of each
5-40 signing bonus for fiscal year 2001-2002 to ensure that an adequate amount
5-41 of money is available to provide signing bonuses to newly hired teachers
5-42 for fiscal year 2002-2003. The amount of a bonus paid to each teacher:
5-43 (a) In fiscal year 2001-2002 must not exceed $2,000.
5-44 (b) In fiscal year 2002-2003 must not exceed $2,500.
5-45 5. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, if a teacher who
5-46 receives a signing bonus pursuant to this section does not teach in a public
5-47 school in this state for at least 2 years after the date on which he received
5-48 the signing bonus, the teacher shall repay the full amount of the signing
5-49 bonus to the Department of Education. The Department of Education shall
6-1 grant a waiver to a teacher from the repayment required by this subsection
6-2 if the teacher received satisfactory evaluations but was not reemployed by
6-3 the school district.
6-4 6. No additional money will be appropriated by the Legislature for the
6-5 purpose of providing signing bonuses for teachers for the 2001-2003
6-6 biennium.
6-7 7. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1
6-8 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to
6-9 the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have
6-10 been made.
6-11 Sec. 5. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.
6-12 H