Senate Bill No. 44–Committee on Human
Resources and Facilities

 

(On Behalf of the Legislative Committee on
Education (NRS 218.5352))

 

Prefiled January 30, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing class-size reduction program. (BDR 34‑643)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                           Effect on the State: No.

 

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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 education; authorizing school districts to develop alternative plans for the reduction of pupil-teacher ratios in certain grades; 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. NRS 387.304 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2  387.304  The Department shall:

1-3  1.  Conduct an annual audit of the count of pupils for

1-4  apportionment purposes reported by each school district pursuant to

1-5  NRS 387.123 and the data reported by each school district pursuant

1-6  to NRS 388.710 that is used to measure the effectiveness of the

1-7  implementation of [the] a plan developed by each school district [to

1-8  reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and 3,]

1-9  as required by NRS [388.710.] 388.720.

1-10      2.  Review each school district’s report of the annual audit

1-11  conducted by a public accountant as required by NRS 354.624, and

1-12  the annual report prepared by each district as required by NRS

1-13  387.303, and report the findings of the review to the State Board and

1-14  the Legislative Committee on Education, with any recommendations

2-1  for legislation, revisions to regulations or training needed by school

2-2  district employees. The report by the Department must identify

2-3  school districts which failed to comply with any statutes or

2-4  administrative regulations of this state or which had any:

2-5  (a) Long-term obligations in excess of the general obligation

2-6  debt limit;

2-7  (b) Deficit fund balances or retained earnings in any fund;

2-8  (c) Deficit cash balances in any fund;

2-9  (d) Variances of more than 10 percent between total general

2-10  fund revenues and budgeted general fund revenues; or

2-11      (e) Variances of more than 10 percent between total actual

2-12  general fund expenditures and budgeted total general fund

2-13  expenditures.

2-14      3.  In preparing its biennial budgetary request for the State

2-15  Distributive School Account, consult with the Superintendent of

2-16  Schools of each school district or a person designated by the

2-17  Superintendent.

2-18      4.  Provide, in consultation with the Budget Division of the

2-19  Department of Administration and the Fiscal Analysis Division of

2-20  the Legislative Counsel Bureau, training to the financial officers of

2-21  school districts in matters relating to financial accountability.

2-22      Sec. 2.  NRS 388.700 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-23      388.700  1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2, 3

2-24  and 6, after the last day of the first month of the school year, the

2-25  ratio in each school district of pupils per class [in kindergarten and

2-26  grades 1, 2 and 3] per licensed teacher designated to teach those

2-27  classes full time [must not exceed 15 to 1] in classes where core

2-28  curriculum is taught[.] :

2-29      (a) In kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and 3, must not exceed 15

2-30  to 1; or

2-31      (b) If a plan is developed by a school district pursuant to

2-32  subsection 2 of NRS 388.720, in grades 1 to 6, inclusive, must not

2-33  exceed 22 to 1.

2-34  In determining this ratio, all licensed educational personnel who

2-35  teach [kindergarten or grade 1, 2 or 3] a grade level specified in

2-36  paragraph (a) or (b), as applicable for the school district, must be

2-37  counted except teachers of art, music, physical education or special

2-38  education, counselors, librarians, administrators, deans and

2-39  specialists.

2-40      2.  A school district may, within the limits of any plan adopted

2-41  pursuant to NRS 388.720, assign a pupil whose enrollment in a

2-42  grade occurs after the last day of the first month of the school year

2-43  to any existing class regardless of the number of pupils in the class.

2-44      3.  The State Board may grant to a school district a variance

2-45  from the limitation on the number of pupils per class set forth in

3-1  subsection 1 for good cause, including the lack of available financial

3-2  support specifically set aside for the reduction of pupil-teacher

3-3  ratios.

3-4  4.  The State Board shall, on or before February 1 of each

3-5  odd‑numbered year, report to the Legislature on:

3-6  (a) Each variance granted by it during the preceding biennium,

3-7  including the specific justification for the variance.

3-8  (b) The data reported to it by the various school districts

3-9  pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 388.710, including an explanation

3-10  of that data, and the current pupil-teacher ratios per class in

3-11  [kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and 3.] the grade levels specified in

3-12  paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection 1, as applicable, for each

3-13  school district.

3-14      5.  The Department shall, on or before November 15 of each

3-15  year, report to the Chief of the Budget Division of the Department

3-16  of Administration and the Fiscal Analysis Division of the

3-17  Legislative Counsel Bureau:

3-18      (a) The number of teachers employed;

3-19      (b) The number of teachers employed in order to attain the ratio

3-20  required by subsection 1;

3-21      (c) The number of pupils enrolled; and

3-22      (d) The number of teachers assigned to teach in the same

3-23  classroom with another teacher or in any other arrangement other

3-24  than one teacher assigned to one classroom of pupils,

3-25  during the current school year in [kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and

3-26  3] the grade levels specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of

3-27  subsection 1, as applicable, for each school district.

3-28      6.  The provisions of this section do not apply to a charter

3-29  school or to a program of distance education provided pursuant to

3-30  NRS 388.820 to 388.874, inclusive.

3-31      Sec. 3.  NRS 388.710 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-32      388.710  1.  The State Board, in consultation with the trustees

3-33  of the school districts and the recognized associations representing

3-34  licensed educational personnel, after receiving comments from the

3-35  general public, shall determine the data that must be monitored by

3-36  each school district and used to measure the effectiveness of the

3-37  implementation of [the] a plan developed by each school district [to

3-38  reduce the pupil-teacher ratio per class in kindergarten and grades 1,

3-39  2 and 3.] pursuant to NRS 388.720.

3-40      2.  Each school district shall report the data to the State Board

3-41  as required by the State Board.

3-42      Sec. 4.  NRS 388.720 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-43      388.720  [Each]

3-44      1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, each school

3-45  district together with the recognized associations representing

4-1  licensed educational personnel shall develop a plan to reduce the

4-2  district’s pupil-teacher ratio per class in kindergarten and grades 1, 2

4-3  and 3 within the limits of available financial support specifically set

4-4  aside for this purpose and submit that plan to the State Board.

4-5  2.  In lieu of complying with the pupil-teacher ratio prescribed

4-6  in paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of NRS 388.700, a school district

4-7  may, in consultation with recognized associations representing

4-8  licensed educational personnel, develop a plan to reduce the

4-9  district’s pupil-teacher ratios per class in grades 1 to 6, inclusive,

4-10  to 22 to 1, within the limits of available financial support

4-11  specifically set aside for the reduction of pupil-teacher ratios in

4-12  kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and 3. A plan developed pursuant to

4-13  this subsection must be submitted to the State Board.

4-14      Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2003.

 

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