Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 41–
Committee on Finance

 

June 2, 2003

____________

 

Read and Adopted

 

SUMMARY—Provides items for consideration by Superintendent of Public Instruction in compiling biennial budgetary request. (BDR R‑1374)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

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.

 

1-1  Whereas, Section 2 of Article 11 of the Constitution of the

1-2  State of Nevada requires the Legislature to provide for a uniform

1-3  system of common schools; and

1-4  Whereas, Section 6 of Article 11 of the Constitution of the

1-5  State of Nevada requires the Legislature to provide for the support

1-6  and maintenance of the common schools by direct legislative

1-7  appropriation from the General Fund; and

1-8  Whereas, An effective public school system which produces

1-9  active and informed residents is essential to the development of an

1-10  educated workforce to serve the economy of the State of Nevada;

1-11  and

1-12      Whereas, The Nevada Association of School Superintendents

1-13  and the Nevada Association of School Boards have worked

1-14  cooperatively to propose a long-term vision for public education,

1-15  commonly referred to as “iNVest,” in an effort to improve the

1-16  academic achievement of pupils enrolled in elementary and

1-17  secondary schools in this state; and

1-18      Whereas, The Legislature believes that the elements of the

1-19  iNVest proposal provide a sound blueprint when the Legislature

1-20  considers methods to improve the academic achievement of pupils;

1-21  and

2-1  Whereas, The Legislature recognizes it is important that school

2-2  districts:

2-3  1.  Are provided with basic support to the extent practicable and

2-4  sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of the public schools, which to

2-5  the extent practicable includes the inflationary costs for nonsalaried

2-6  expenditures;

2-7  2.  Have funding for books, supplies and equipment to the

2-8  extent practicable and sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of the

2-9  public schools;

2-10      3.  Have funding for programs designed for pupils who have

2-11  limited proficiency in the English language to the extent practicable

2-12  and sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of the public schools; and

2-13      4.  Maintain an ending fund balance to the extent practicable

2-14  and sufficient to meet the needs of the public schools; and

2-15      Whereas, The Legislature recognizes the importance for school

2-16  districts to attract and retain a qualified workforce, which includes

2-17  the provision of cost-of-living adjustments, adequate health benefits

2-18  for employees and adequate compensation for teachers who provide

2-19  instruction in high impact and special need areas; and

2-20      Whereas, The Legislature recognizes that there are a variety of

2-21  meritorious ways that the educational system can assist pupils to

2-22  meet the demands of rigorous academic standards, including,

2-23  without limitation, increasing the instructional time for pupils by

2-24  adding additional days to the school year, providing full-day

2-25  kindergarten to the extent practicable, especially for children who

2-26  are at risk, and providing summer school, after-school programs and

2-27  tutorial programs for pupils who need additional assistance; and

2-28      Whereas, The opportunities available to Nevada’s pupils

2-29  would be enhanced by the provision of career and technical

2-30  educational courses, the enhancement of classroom discipline and

2-31  the maintenance of class-size reduction; and

2-32      Whereas, It is the intended goal of the Nevada Legislature to

2-33  work in partnership with the State Board of Education, the

2-34  Governor, the Nevada Association of School Superintendents, the

2-35  Nevada Association of School Boards and other such dedicated

2-36  organizations to continue to develop and carry out educational

2-37  strategies that are designed to improve the academic achievement of

2-38  pupils enrolled in the public elementary and secondary schools in

2-39  this state, including, without limitation, methods to increase the

2-40  financial support for public schools; now, therefore, be it

2-41      Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the

2-42  Assembly Concurring, That, the Superintendent of Public

2-43  Instruction may compile the biennial budgetary request for the State

2-44  Distributive School Account prepared by the Department of

3-1  Education and, in compiling the request, may take into account,

3-2  without limitation, the following items:

3-3  1.  The projected enrollment of pupils for each school district

3-4  and for the school districts as a whole;

3-5  2.  The projected costs of salaries and benefits for existing and

3-6  newly hired teachers, and for other school district employees,

3-7  including, without limitation, the cost of programs of enhanced

3-8  compensation and the cost of living adjustments recommended by

3-9  the Superintendent of Public Instruction;

3-10      3.  The projected costs of supplies, equipment, services, fuel

3-11  and utilities based upon such published indices, reports and research

3-12  as the Superintendent of Public Instruction considers are credible

3-13  and reliable regarding those costs to schools;

3-14      4.  The projected cost of existing and proposed educational

3-15  programs, including, without limitation, enhancements to existing

3-16  programs that are not included in the per pupil basic support

3-17  guarantee; and

3-18      5.  The revenue that is anticipated to be available for the general

3-19  operations of school districts other than money available from the

3-20  State General Fund; and be it further

3-21      Resolved, That the Superintendent of Public Instruction may

3-22  include a compilation of the items with the biennial budgetary

3-23  request for the State Distributive School Account prepared by the

3-24  Department of Education; and be it further

3-25      Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and

3-26  transmit a copy of this resolution to the Superintendent of Public

3-27  Instruction.

 

3-28  H