Legislative Update May 28 2013 FY 2013 2014

Legislative Update May 28, 2013

FY 2013 -2014 Budget Ø Senate Passes Budget (5/24/13) ü ü ü ü Base Student Cost of $2, 101, up from current $2, 012, below $2, 771 statutorily required Proviso requiring teacher salary step increase Proviso to allow districts to uniformly negotiate salaries for retired teachers Monies ($26 M) for phase-in of 4 -year-old kindergarten program for Child Development Education Program Bill Monies for summer reading camps for Read to Succeed Bill Monies ($23. 5 M) for new school buses School Choice – One-year issuance of state income tax credits for private school tuition for disabled students School Choice - Private school teachers can deduct $275 for school supplies from state income tax

Joint Resolutions ØResolution (H. 3453) extending time to extend teacher contracts from April 15 th to May 15 th ü Ratified and Signed by Governor on May 3 rd

Exemption from Secretary of State Filing (S. 0250) ØBill passed House and Senate (5/17/13) ü Exempts public schools and districts from filing requirements with the Secretary of State ØBill enrolled for ratification

4 -K Child Development Program (S. 0134) ØReported out favorably by Senate Education Committee (5/9/13) ü Full day 4 -year-old kindergarten program for at-risk children ü Set standards and funding levels

SC Read to Succeed (S. 0516) ØReported out favorably by Senate Education Committee (5/9/13) ü Students not reading on grade level at the end of the third grade would be retained for reading instruction ü Students would do summer work or get intensive reading instruction the following school year ü Teachers would also be required to do training ü Children in kindergarten would receive a readingreadiness test before entering school to identify learning barriers ü The bill would be paid for by a portion of $6 million set aside for reading improvement

Parent Empowerment Act (S. 0556) ØResides in Senate Education Committee (3/20/13) ü ü Parents have ability to assume control of an “at-risk” school Parents representing 51% of students can: • Convert school to (1) charter school, (2) turnaround model, (3) restart model, or (4) transformational model • Replace some of school’s administration • Close school ü ü ü Turnaround model – Principal replaced and school staff screened with no more than 50% rehired Restart model – Convert school to a charter school or close and reopen under charter school operator Transformational Model – District implements strategies that include developing and increasing teacher and school leader effectiveness, instructional reform, increasing community involvement

Tuition Tax Credits / Vouchers (S. 0279) ØResides in Senate Committee on Finance (1/23/13) ü Similar to Bill that died in Senate in 2012 ü Plan could cost $36 million • State income tax deduction of up to $4, 000 for tuition paid by the parent or legal guardian for child to attend an independent school, $1, 000 for tuition paid by parent or legal guardian for child to attend public school outside of their resident district, $2, 000 per home school student • Tax credits (sixty percent of taxpayers liability) for contributions made to non-profit scholarship funding organizations that would provide ‘grants’ to eligible students to attend a qualifying independent school • ‘Accountability’ provision includes requirement for all students be administered national achievement or state standardized tests

School Choice (S. 0313) ØResides in Senate Education Committee (4/25/13) ü Districts, over a three year period, have to provide education program choices (i. e. , public charter schools, vitural school programs, single gender, magnet schools) • 2013 -2014 – State Department of Education establish program and develop open enrollment pilot program • 2013 -2014 – Districts convene school choice committee to develop plan • 2014 -2015 – Districts begin implementation of school choice program • 2014 -2015 – Districts develop plans for Open Enrollment • 2015 -2016 – Parents may enroll child in any public school in state without paying tuition ü District Board adopts policies for individual school capacities, standards of approval, priority of acceptance

High School League (H. 3229) ØReported out favorably by Senate Education Committee (5/13/13) üBill passed full House on 3/20/13 üAmendment to leave High School League intact üAmendment to require independent appeals panel üAmendment to improvement state-wide representation in High School League Ø Read first time in Senate

Freedom of Information Act (H. 3163) Ø Resides in House Judiciary Committee (3/20/13) üAmendment to end Legislative Exemption üConcern from constituents about personal information becomming available through Act üHouse does not have staff to comply with Act

School Security (S. 0249) Ø Resides in Senate Committee on Finance (1/16/13) üRequire a state-funded School Resource Officer in each school • Start in 2013 -2014 • Supplied by city and county governments • District pays cost using state allocation • Cost estimate - $80 million

Aiken County Schools are Succeeding! Congratulations ! Class of 2013