The Senate Tuesday voted 27-1 to approve a one-time bonus check for education retirees after making a change in how the amount would be calculated.

 

Senate Okays Retiree Bonus; Preps for ETF Budget

 

The Senate Tuesday voted 27-1 to approve a one-time bonus check for education retirees after making a change in how the amount would be calculated.

 

Instead of providing a $400 flat sum to each retiree as originally proposed, S.21 (Dial) now would provide $1 per month for each year of service.That change would translate to a $300 check for a retiree with 25 years of service and $480 for one with 40 years of service. The sponsor said the new approach is more equitable by reflecting a retiree's length of service. The change would reduce the Education Trust Fund cost from $34 million to $24 million. The appropriation must be made in the FY19 education budget and is not reflected in the version approved by the House.

 

Senate to discuss ETF budget

The Senate will carve its priorities in to the House-approved education budget Wednesday in the Finance and Taxation Education Committee. In its current form, H.175 (Poole)would fully fund the Teacher Retirement System request for employee health and retirement benefits and provide the following increases:

2.5 percent pay raise:$91 million

Pre-K:$20 million

Other Current Expense:$22.7 million ($15.9 m covers the 2.5 percent raise to support employees and a $6.8 million increase to operations)

Student materials:$5.4 million

Technology:$4.2 million

Library enhancement:$3.1 million

Professional development:$580,000

Transportation:$3.9 million

Fleet renewal:$2.6 million

Technology Coordinators:$1.9 million

School nurses:$780,000

Capital purchase:$5 million

Career Tech: $1.3 million

 

See education budget spreadsheet

 

School bus fleet renewal stalls

Local school leaders found themselves in the odd position of opposing a bill that intended to help school systems recoup the full cost of school bus purchases. AASB joined SSA and CLAS in a public hearing Wednesday to say the senate amendments have made S.202 (Bussman) unworkable.

The bill originally increased the time local school systems could receive bus fleet renewal funding from 10 years to 12 years or 200,000 miles. The Senate changes inadvertently penalize systems rather than timely provide much-needed funding to fleet renewal. No vote was taken and the bill must be fixed before it can move or incorporate funding in the current education budget proposal.

 

Appoint local superintendents

The Senate Education and Youth Affairs Committee approved a bill that would require all county school superintendents to be appointed offices. S.280 (Brewbaker)would enable any currently

 

elected superintendent to seek and complete another elected term before transitioning those offices to appointed positions. The January 2021 effective date is set to provide ample time.

The bill provides that if a local board of education offers the elected superintendent a contract, there is no requirement to post a vacancy notice. As the election season begins, local superintendents must shift focus to campaign mode simply to keep their jobs.School leaders should not spend unnecessary time and money seeking votes, being forced to change focus from leading school systems. Alabama and Florida are the only remaining states that allow elected superintendents.

 

School safety issues

H.447 (Collins) — School Safety Task Force —would reconstitute the Alabama Task Force on School Safety and Security to annually study the educational and safety laws, rules, and policies of the state; the task force would make legislative recommendations. Amended to include a school principal on the task force. Approved by House committee.

H.452 (Farley) — Juvenile probation officers — would allow probation officers to share information with schools for limited purposes; removes the requirement for intent to cause bodily harm when possessing a deadly weapon at schools. Amended and approved by House committee.

S.26 (Chambliss)/H.413 (Beckman) — Juvenile sex offender students — would require the state Department of Education develop, and local boards to adopt, a model policy for the supervision and monitoring of juvenile sex offender students in schools by the 2020-21 school year; the substitute removed notification to local board members, but specified the superintendent be notified as well as teachers and staff with authority over the student. Pending final passage in the House.

 

Say NO to 529 deduction extension

Confusion remains regarding H.259 (Johnson, K.) to extend the state income tax deduction for contributions to 529 accounts that are used to pay K-12 private school tuition. AASB and CLAS have testified against affirming a state policy to extend that incentive.

Alabamians, without this bill, may already deduct federal income tax for any 529 contributions.Importantly, Alabamians may also deduct federal AND state income tax dollars for contributions towards the 529(a) plan (ABLE) which is a program specific to individuals with disabilities. However, local school leaders oppose extending the state income tax deduction for K-12 private school tuition payments by reducing tax dollars that otherwise would flow to public education.

 

Education-related bills

 

H.194 (Weaver)— Medical DNR for minors —would authorize a portable Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) for minors; provides DNR shall not apply in a school setting should H.202 fail to be enacted. Approved by the House.

 

H.202 (Weaver)— Limited DNR in schools —would narrowly incorporate the DNR order in a school setting. Only school nurses would follow the DNR order and liability immunity is provided for employees. The bill is linked to passage of H.194 .Approved by the House.

 

H.264 (Clouse) — City school systems — would delete a conflicting provision specific to city public schools to allow the general law regarding required ages for school attendance (children

ages six to 17) to apply to all public schools. Approved by House committee.

 

H.31 (Crawford) — Outside employment — would remove the prohibition against county school superintendents participating in employment outside the school system; requires that the employment be approved by the local board. Pending final passage in the Senate.

 

H.69 (Standridge)— Competitive bid for HVAC — would provide an option to participate in purchasing cooperatives for heating/air conditioning units. Pending final passage in the Senate.

 

H.261 (Lovvorn) — AL Math & Science Teacher Education Program — AMSTEP would provide federal education loan repayment awards to eligible public school teachers. The program would be administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). The basic program would provide $2,500 per semester in loan repayment for an eligible full-time math or science teacher with an additional $1,250 per semester available to those who teach in areas with acute shortages. House approved by 98-0 vote.

 

S.181 (Dial) —Ten Commandments — would propose a constitutional amendment to provide for the display of the Ten Commandments on state property or public school property. By voice vote, the Senate tabled committee language that would have added other religious displays that express their faith or religious beliefs; the bill specifically prohibits public funds from being used to defend the constitutionality of the amendment if approved.

 

S.350 (Smitherman) — COLA trust fund —would create a trust fund for cost-of-living adjustments to retirees for the Teachers Retirement System. Introduced.