(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)
THIRD 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 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 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:
1-1 Section 1. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general
1-2 fund to the Department of Education the sum of $9,950,000 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 money to
1-7 local school districts for schools within the school district to acquire the
1-8 minimal level of educational technology that is necessary to provide a
1-9 networked computer for each classroom, as recommended by the
1-10 Commission:
1-11 (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002...... $1,250,000
1-12 (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003...... $1,250,000
1-13 (b) For the Commission on Educational Technology to provide grants to
1-14 local school districts for the repair, replacement or upgrade of computer
1-15 hardware and software, including, without limitation, contracts for
1-16 maintenance:
1-17 (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002...... $2,500,000
1-18 (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003..... $2,500,000
2-1 (c) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to local
2-2 school districts for hardware, software and contracting services to provide
2-3 or enhance technical support to the school districts:
2-4 (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002......... $625,000
2-5 (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003......... $625,000
2-6 (d) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to local
2-7 school districts for pilot programs that demonstrate best practices for the
2-8 use of educational technology to improve the achievement of pupils:
2-9 (1) For the fiscal year 2001-2002......... $150,000
2-10 (2) For the fiscal year 2002-2003......... $150,000
2-11 (e) For the Commission on Educational Technology to distribute for the
2-12 KLVX Distance Learning Satellite Service$400,000
2-13 (f) For the Commission on Educational Technology to grant to the
2-14 Division of State Library and Archives of the Department of Museums,
2-15 Library and Arts for licenses to allow school libraries access to research
2-16 databases and other on-line resources appropriate for pupils......................................................... $500,000
2-17 3. The sums appropriated by paragraphs (a) to (d), inclusive, of
2-18 subsection 1 are available for either fiscal year. Any balance of those sums
2-19 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to
2-20 the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have
2-21 been made.
2-22 4. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by paragraphs (e)
2-23 and (f) of subsection 1 must not be committed for expenditure after
2-24 June 30, 2003, and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments
2-25 of money committed have been made.
2-26 Sec. 2. 1. To receive a grant of money pursuant to section 1 of this
2-27 act, a school district must:
2-28 (a) Complete forms provided by the Superintendent of Public
2-29 Instruction.
2-30 (b) Submit a written request to the Commission on Educational
2-31 Technology that identifies the schools within the school district which need
2-32 educational technology and the financial needs of those schools to obtain
2-33 the educational technology.
2-34 (c) Submit a plan to the Commission on Educational Technology for the
2-35 use of educational technology to improve the instruction and academic
2-36 achievement of pupils, based upon the most recent version of the plan
2-37 adopted by the Commission pursuant to NRS 388.795 for the use of
2-38 educational technology in the public schools of this state. A school district
2-39 may, as part of its plan and upon approval of the Commission, elect to use
2-40 refurbished computers that do not meet the technical standards established
2-41 by the Commission.
2-42 (d) Submit a plan for evaluation in accordance with guidelines
2-43 submitted by the Commission on Educational Technology that includes the
2-44 effectiveness of the use of educational technology in improving the
2-45 academic achievement of pupils.
2-46 (e) Provide any additional information requested by the Commission on
2-47 Educational Technology.
2-48 2. The Commission on Educational Technology shall determine the
2-49 amount of money that must be distributed to school districts based upon the
3-1 needs of each school district and the wealth of the school district relative to
3-2 the other school districts in this state.
3-3 3. A school district that receives a grant of money pursuant to section 1
3-4 of this act shall:
3-5 (a) Account for the money separately; and
3-6 (b) Use the money to supplement, and not replace, the money that the
3-7 school district would otherwise expend for educational technology.
3-8 4. A school district that receives a grant of money pursuant to section 1
3-9 of this act shall not use the money to:
3-10 (a) Settle or arbitrate disputes or negotiate settlements between an
3-11 organization that represents licensed employees of the school district and
3-12 the school district.
3-13 (b) Adjust the schedules of salaries and benefits of the employees of the
3-14 school district.
3-15 5. On or before January 1, 2003, each school district that receives a
3-16 grant of money pursuant to section 1 of this act shall submit to the
3-17 Department of Education and the Commission on Educational Technology
3-18 a written report in the format required by the Department. The report must
3-19 include, without limitation:
3-20 (a) A statement of the amount of money distributed to the school district
3-21 pursuant to section 1 of this act;
3-22 (b) A record of the manner in which the money was expended;
3-23 (c) The purposes of each such expenditure; and
3-24 (d) Any other expenditures for similar purposes from other money
3-25 available to the school district.
3-26 6. On or before February 1, 2003, the Department of Education shall
3-27 submit a written summary to the Governor, the Commission on
3-28 Educational Technology and the Director of the Legislative Counsel
3-29 Bureau for transmission to the 72nd session of the Nevada Legislature. The
3-30 written summary must include, without limitation:
3-31 (a) The name of each school district that received a grant of money
3-32 pursuant to section 1 of this act; and
3-33 (b) A compilation of the reports submitted to the Department pursuant
3-34 to subsection 5.
3-35 Sec. 3. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund
3-36 to the legislative fund created by NRS 218.085 the sum of $50,000 for use
3-37 by the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program
3-38 Evaluation to hire a qualified, independent consultant to conduct an
3-39 evaluation of educational technology.
3-40 2. The Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program
3-41 Evaluation shall, after consulting with the Commission on Educational
3-42 Technology, use the money appropriated by subsection 1 to hire a
3-43 qualified, independent consultant to conduct an evaluation of the
3-44 effectiveness of educational technology in improving the achievement of
3-45 pupils, to identify issues relating to the implementation of educational
3-46 technology and to identify best practices relating to the use of educational
3-47 technology to improve the achievement of pupils.
3-48 3. The consultant shall provide to the Legislative Committee on
3-49 Education, upon the request of the Committee, an interim report of the
4-1 progress of the consultant. On or before February 1, 2003, the consultant
4-2 hired pursuant to subsection 2 shall submit a written report of the results of
4-3 his evaluation to the Legislative Bureau of Educational Accountability and
4-4 Program Evaluation. On or before February 19, 2003, the Legislative
4-5 Bureau of Educational Accountability and Program Evaluation shall submit
4-6 a copy of the written report and any recommendations for legislation to the
4-7 Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the 72nd
4-8 session of the Nevada Legislature.
4-9 4. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1
4-10 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to
4-11 the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have
4-12 been made.
4-13 Sec. 4. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund
4-14 to the Department of Education the sum of $10,000,000 to provide signing
4-15 bonuses to teachers who are newly hired by school districts for the 2001-
4-16 2002 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. A newly hired teacher
4-17 may not receive a signing bonus until he has taught for a school district in
4-18 this state for at least 30 days. A teacher may not receive more than one
4-19 signing bonus pursuant to this section. A teacher who teaches for a school
4-20 district in this state before the effective date of this act and who
4-21 subsequently transfers to another school district in this state is not eligible
4-22 to receive a signing bonus pursuant to this section.
4-23 2. A school district that wishes to provide signing bonuses to its newly
4-24 hired teachers shall submit information to the Department of Education, in
4-25 a format prescribed by the Department, concerning the number of teachers
4-26 who are newly hired by the school district to teach for the 2001-2002
4-27 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. A school district shall submit a
4-28 request for each fiscal year that it wishes to provide signing bonuses
4-29 pursuant to this section.
4-30 3. The Department of Education shall use the money appropriated by
4-31 subsection 1 to provide signing bonuses to teachers who are newly hired
4-32 for the 2001-2002 school year and the 2002-2003 school year. The
4-33 Department shall analyze the total number of newly hired teachers for the
4-34 2001-2002 school year and determine the total amount of money to be
4-35 allocated for fiscal year 2001-2002 in a manner which will ensure that an
4-36 adequate amount of money is available for signing bonuses for fiscal year
4-37 2002-2003. If necessary, the Department shall adjust the amount of each
4-38 signing bonus for fiscal year 2001-2002 to ensure that an adequate amount
4-39 of money is available to provide signing bonuses to newly hired teachers
4-40 for fiscal year 2002-2003. The amount of a bonus paid to each teacher:
4-41 (a) In fiscal year 2001-2002 must not exceed $2,000.
4-42 (b) In fiscal year 2002-2003 must not exceed $2,500.
4-43 4. No additional money will be appropriated by the Legislature for the
4-44 purpose of providing signing bonuses for teachers for the 2001-2003
4-45 biennium.
4-46 5. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1
4-47 must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to
4-48 the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have
4-49 been made.
5-1 Sec. 5. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.
5-2 H