Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 41–
Committee on Finance

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Providing the items for consideration by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in compiling the biennial budgetary request for the State Distributive School Account.

 

    Whereas, Section 2 of Article 11 of the Constitution of the

State of Nevada requires the Legislature to provide for a uniform

system of common schools; and

    Whereas, Section 6 of Article 11 of the Constitution of the

State of Nevada requires the Legislature to provide for the support

and maintenance of the common schools by direct legislative

appropriation from the General Fund; and

    Whereas, An effective public school system which produces

active and informed residents is essential to the development of an

educated workforce to serve the economy of the State of Nevada;

and

    Whereas, The Nevada Association of School Superintendents

and the Nevada Association of School Boards have worked

cooperatively to propose a long-term vision for public education,

commonly referred to as “iNVest,” in an effort to improve the

academic achievement of pupils enrolled in elementary and

secondary schools in this state; and

    Whereas, The Legislature believes that the elements of the

iNVest proposal provide a sound blueprint when the Legislature

considers methods to improve the academic achievement of pupils;

and

    Whereas, The Legislature recognizes it is important that school

districts:

    1.  Are provided with basic support to the extent practicable and

sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of the public schools, which to

the extent practicable includes the inflationary costs for nonsalaried

expenditures;

    2.  Have funding for books, supplies and equipment to the

extent practicable and sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of the

public schools;

    3.  Have funding for programs designed for pupils who have

limited proficiency in the English language to the extent practicable

and sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of the public schools; and

    4.  Maintain an ending fund balance to the extent practicable

and sufficient to meet the needs of the public schools; and

    Whereas, The Legislature recognizes the importance for school

districts to attract and retain a qualified workforce, which includes

the provision of cost-of-living adjustments, adequate health benefits

for employees and adequate compensation for teachers who provide

instruction in high impact and special need areas; and

    Whereas, The Legislature recognizes that there are a variety of

meritorious ways that the educational system can assist pupils to

meet the demands of rigorous academic standards, including,

without limitation, increasing the instructional time for pupils by

adding additional days to the school year, providing full-day

kindergarten to the extent practicable, especially for children who

are at risk, and providing summer school, after-school programs and

tutorial programs for pupils who need additional assistance; and

    Whereas, The opportunities available to Nevada’s pupils

would be enhanced by the provision of career and technical

educational courses, the enhancement of classroom discipline and

the maintenance of class-size reduction; and

    Whereas, It is the intended goal of the Nevada Legislature to

work in partnership with the State Board of Education, the

Governor, the Nevada Association of School Superintendents, the

Nevada Association of School Boards and other such dedicated

organizations to continue to develop and carry out educational

strategies that are designed to improve the academic achievement of

pupils enrolled in the public elementary and secondary schools in

this state, including, without limitation, methods to increase the

financial support for public schools; now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the

Assembly Concurring, That, the Superintendent of Public

Instruction may compile the biennial budgetary request for the State

Distributive School Account prepared by the Department of

Education and, in compiling the request, may take into account,

without limitation, the following items:

    1.  The projected enrollment of pupils for each school district

and for the school districts as a whole;

    2.  The projected costs of salaries and benefits for existing and

newly hired teachers, and for other school district employees,

including, without limitation, the cost of programs of enhanced

compensation and the cost of living adjustments recommended by

the Superintendent of Public Instruction;

    3.  The projected costs of supplies, equipment, services, fuel

and utilities based upon such published indices, reports and research

as the Superintendent of Public Instruction considers are credible

and reliable regarding those costs to schools;

    4.  The projected cost of existing and proposed educational

programs, including, without limitation, enhancements to existing

programs that are not included in the per pupil basic support

guarantee; and

    5.  The revenue that is anticipated to be available for the general

operations of school districts other than money available from the

State General Fund; and be it further

    Resolved, That the Superintendent of Public Instruction may

include a compilation of the items with the biennial budgetary

request for the State Distributive School Account prepared by the

Department of Education; and be it further

    Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and

transmit a copy of this resolution to the Superintendent of Public

Instruction.

 

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