SPRING 2014 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF SCHOOL FINANCIAL SERVICES May 19 – May 22, 2014 Spring 2014 Update

SPRING 2014 LEGISLATIVE UPDATEMISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOFFICE OF SCHOOL FINANCIAL SERVICES

May 19 – May 22, 2014

Spring 2014 Update

Agenda

I. WelcomeII. 2014 Legislative Summary

A. Appropriation BillB. House Bills C. Senate Bills

III. School Financial Services UpdateIV. QuestionsV. Closing Comments

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2014 Legislation – Appropriation Bill

HB 1476FY 2015 Education Appropriation Bill

• Funds MAEP at $2,154,674,610 – $72.1 M above FY 2014 MAEP appropriation.– $64.6 M of the increase is for teacher pay raise effective

July 1, 2014 – Lump sum allocation (same process as FY 2014) - no mid

year adjustments to add-ons or additional funding for new hires (spec. ed., CTE, gifted teachers)• Districts will be required to go through the teacher unit

reconciliation process even though funding will not change

4Spring 2014 Update

HB 1476 (Continued)FY 2015 Education Appropriation Bill • Education Enhancement Funds

– $16 M Buildings and Buses– $12 M Classroom Supply Funds; incr of $2 M from FY14

• Allocations for Buildings and Buses is estimated until Mo. 1-9 ADA is complete

• No district allocation for Classroom Supply-all cards/one amt• No allocation for Ad Valorem Tax Reduction allocation• Chickasaw fully funded - $20,776,890 • National Board Certification (Master Teacher) Supplement is

fully funded

5Spring 2014 Update

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2012/pdf/history/HB/HB0447.xml

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2014 Legislation – House Bills

Payment of Teacher Salaries; standard contract shall fix monthly installment.

• Allows teachers to be paid their full August check in 2015

• Provides that the standard teacher contract prescribed by the State Board of Education provide that licensed employees shall earn a salary payable in equal installments beginning in the first month of employment

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2014 Legislation – House Bill 71

School Buses; require school districts to have identifying signage placed upon all buses.

• Requires that any contract entered into by a school district for the operation, rental or leasing of school buses with private or public entities, or the purchase of school buses to be used by a school district to stipulate in the contract that the entity from whom the school bus is rented, leased or purchased , or which is providing the transportation service, shall cause the required district-identifying signage to be placed on the bus before delivery of the school bus into possession the school district

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2014 Legislation – House Bill 432CPR/AED; require to be taught as instructional component for physical education in grades 9-12.• Requires one-half (1/2) Carnegie unit in physical education or physical

activity for graduation• Requires that proper administration of (CPR) and use of an automated

external defibrillator (AED) be included in the physical education curriculum for grades 9-12

• Requires that the curriculum incorporate instruction of psychomotor skills • Requires the instruction to be based on an instructional program

established by the American Heart Association, The American Red Cross, or another program which is nationally recognized and uses the most current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines

• Exempts licensed teachers from requiring certification as a trainer of CPR or AED to facilitate the instruction

• Requires the State Department of Education to establish a procedure for monitoring adherence to the curriculum requirements

State Department of Education; remove certain State Personnel Board procedures for two years. • Provides that for a period of two years, the personnel actions of the State

Department of Education subject to regulations of the State Personnel Board shall be exempt from State Personnel Board procedures

• Exempts School Attendance Officers• Provides for School Attendance Officers to not be required to work for six (6)

consecutive weeks during the summer• Provides for the kindergarten and 1st grade start date to return to September 1• Allows school districts to adopt as a part of their school safety plan a policy

addressing sexual abuse of children – to be known as “Erin’s Law Awareness”

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New Start School Program; repeal.• Revises the definition and procedures for a “New Start School Program”• States that if a school fails for two consecutive years, it will be considered a

New Start School• Establishes the first year of failing to begin with the 2013-2014 school year• States that if a school maintains a C rating, it can be removed from the New

Start School Program• Defines the responsibilities of the Mississippi Recovery School District• Deletes the requirement that the Executive Director the Mississippi Charter

School Authorizer Board shall be a licensed attorney• Provides that the State Board of Education may revoke or suspend the license

of a superintendent or principal serving a school district that has been placed in state conservatorship

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Teachers; provide for salary increase based on meritorious achievement• Revises the minimum teacher salary scale• Provides that the receipt of annual salary supplements to

certain educational employees holding certain qualifying national certifications shall be limited to one supplement per employee regardless of the number of certifications held

• Establishes a school recognition program to provide financial awards to High-Performing schools beginning with the 2016-2017 school year

• Provides teachers with a $2,500 pay raise for the first 2 years

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Transportation of students; authorizes school boards to use an alternative to school bus transportation for certain agriculture related events. • Amends section 37-41-27 to include events of Future Farmers of America

or 4-H Clubs among types of events for which local school boards may permit the use of public school buses for the transportation of participating students

• Authorizes school boards to allow the use of motor vehicles other than school buses when the transportation is for trips to and from school sites or agricultural education sites or for trips to and from agricultural education-related events or competitions

• Prescribes conditions which must be adhered to when the authorized transportation of students is provided in a vehicle other than a school bus that is property of a school district or charter school

• Authorizes local school boards to permit the transportation of students in privately owned motor vehicles on a case-by-case basis only in certain circumstances

• Provides immunity for tort liability to school board employees acting within the scope of their employment, who approve transportation of students in privately owned vehicles

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2014 Legislation – Senate Bills

Payroll date for school district non-licensed employees; authorize semimonthly payroll in discretion of local school board.

• Authorizes school districts to process a semimonthly or monthly payroll for non-licensed employees, in the discretion of the local school board

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2014 Legislation – Senate Bill 2090

Mississippi Adequate Education Program; phase out hold harmless provision.

• Phases out the hold harmless provision in the Mississippi Adequate Education Program

• Phases out over a four-year period

– 2015 reduce percentage amount to 6%



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School Board Elections In Certain Municipal School Districts; provide uniform procedure for nominating petition.

• Provides a uniform procedure for nominating petitions and a uniform number of signatures on said petitions of nomination to run for the elected office of board of trustees of certain municipal school districts

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Professional School Counselors; revise manner of reference and duties and responsibilities of.

• Corrects and change in reference and title of school guidance counselors to Professional School Counselors

• Revise certain duties and responsibilities assigned to Professional School Counselors and those duties related to counselors’ ability to provide direct services

• Webinar for Administrators and Counselors to outline more details for upcoming training and professional development that will occur over the next three years

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Education Provision; revise and clarify certain relating to hours of instruction; student records, student enrollment, dual enrollment and textbooks • Requires that the hours of actual teaching in a public school shall not be less

than five and one-half hours• Revises the definition of “School Day” under the compulsory school attendance

law to mean not less than five and one-half hours of actual teaching • Authorizes school districts to store the permanent records of those individuals

having graduated in an electronic digital format• Prohibits the enrollment of children who have not reached a certain age on or

before August 1 from enrolling in a kindergarten or in first grade which is part of a public school (Repealed in HB 454)

• Removes the provision that prohibits courses required for Subject Area Testing as eligible for dual credit under a dual enrollment program

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Education Provisions: ~ continued~ • Provides for the timely distribution of education enhancement fund

procurement cards to school teachers eligible for receipt of such cards• Requires school districts to submit certain alternative school reports and to

provide enforcement sanctions for failing to file• Provides that the withdrawal of a school district’s accreditation in a district with

an “A” or “B” rating for any reason other than academic or serious financial deficiencies shall not result in the limitation of the schools in the district to participate in extracurricular or athletic activities

• Repeals the language that provides that all public schools shall begin the school year on or after the third Monday in August

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Literacy Based Promotion Program; State Department of Education conduct pilot program in one or more “C” level school districts. • Establishes a Kindergarten readiness assessment program in the State

Department of Education ( Provides for MDE to administer a statewide K-readiness assessment)

• Authorizes and directs the State Department of Education to conduct a reading intervention pilot program in one or more “C” level school districts

• Prescribes certain education requirements for initial elementary education licensure effective July 1, 2016

• Establishes a middle school dropout prevention pilot program in certain “D” and “F” rated school districts selected by the State Board of Education

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Teacher Licensure; revise requirements for teacher candidates applying for licensure under alternative route.

• Revises the GPA or PRAXIS II testing requirements for teacher candidates applying for standard licensure under the alternate route program

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School Financial Services UpdateMiscellaneous Issues

Miscellaneous Issues • National Board – Nov expirations $6,000

• FETS• Extended School Year (ESY)• Assistant Teachers and Student Teaching• EEF Carryover and Auditors• EEF Card Update• Teach Mississippi Institute• GASB 68 and PERS Liability• Certified Academic Language Therapist• MAGIC

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Miscellaneous Issues National Board

MS Code 37-19-7“…Such teacher shall submit documentation…

that the certificate was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year”

“…February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year”

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Miscellaneous Issues FETS

FETS data is compiled and used for various purposes:

Federal Reporting • F33• NPEFS

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Miscellaneous Issues FETS (continued)

State Reporting:• Superintendent’s Annual Report – Dec. each year• MAEP• Legislature upon request• Maintenance of Effort Calculation for Title I and

Special Education; Excess Cost for Spec. Educ.• Accreditation Standard• Many other areas

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Miscellaneous Issues FETS (continued)

Due on October 15, 2014 as alwaysOnce FETS is submitted and the deadline

has passed, no changes should be made.You cannot resubmit FETS at some time in

the future.Only change should be for audit

adjustments.

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Miscellaneous Issues Extended School Year (ESY)

• Fund number range (2090-2095)• Funds are limited• Reduction depends on request for ESY from all

recipients• Paid in November, March and May• Paid based on previous year• Can book it a couple of different ways

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Miscellaneous Issues Assistant Teachers and Student Teaching

• MS Code 37-3-2(6)(a) concerning Assistant Teachers and Student Teaching

• Attorney General Opinion #2003 WL 23184194• In part, “local school district in which the assistant

teacher is employed shall compensate such assistant teachers at the required salary level during the period of time such individual is completing student teaching requirements.”

• In part, not required to pay salary if Asst Teacher student teaches in another district.

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Miscellaneous Issues EEF Carryover and Auditors

An auditor should not be including an amount in your audit report as EEF-Carryover unless you have a balance in your 2440 fund.

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Miscellaneous Issues EEF Card Update

• All new cards for FY15• New design• Change in law SB 2571• No district allocations• All cards will be the same across state• Districts to provide # of cards by Sept 1

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Miscellaneous Issues EEF Card Update (continued)

“On or before September 1 of each year, local school districts shall * * * determine and submit to the State Department of Education the number of teachers eligible to receive an allocation for the current year.”

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Miscellaneous Issues Teach Mississippi Institute

• MS Code 37-3-2(6)(b)(viii) concerning TMI• The local school district…shall compensate such teacher

interns at Step 1 of the required salary level during the period of time such individual is completing teacher internship requirements and shall compensate such Standard License — Nontraditional Route teachers at Step 3 of the required salary level when they complete license requirements.

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Miscellaneous Issues Teach Mississippi Institute (continued)

• Attorney General Opinion #2012 WL 3611757• Requires any local school district employing a TMI

educator who has completed licensure requirements and obtained a 5 year Standard License to compensate the educator for an additional level of experience.

• This applies even if the individual was employed by another district when they obtained their license.

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Miscellaneous Issues GASB 68 and PERS Liability

• GASB 68 amends statement 27 - Accounting for Pensions by State and Local Governmental Employers

• Effective with audits ending June 30, 2015• PERS will issue an amount for each district• Amount may impact Exhibit A & Exhibit B • Contact your auditor with questions

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Miscellaneous Issues Certified Academic Language Therapist-CALT

MS Code 37-19-7(2)(a)– National Board for Professional Teaching Standards– National Board for Certification of School Nurses

(limited to 35)– National Certified School Counselor– Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American

Speech-Language-Hearing Assoc and any certified academic language therapist

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Miscellaneous Issues CALT (continued)

• First year was FY 2013-14• Limited to 20 individuals• Individuals are only entitled to only one

supplement each year• MS AG Op. Wright, May 2, 2014

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Miscellaneous Issues MAGIC Project - MAGIC, Mississippi’s

Accountability System for Government Information and Collaboration, will be Mississippi State Government’s Enterprise Resource Planning solution. Based on SAP Public Sector® software, MAGIC will replace the State’s legacy administrative systems with a fully-integrated system.

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Questions?

Documents

SPRING 2014 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF SCHOOL FINANCIAL SERVICES May 19 – May 22, 2014 Spring 2014 Update