S.B. 110

1

SCHOOL-BASED BUDGETING AMENDMENTS
2 2013 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson
5 House Sponsor: Daniel McCay
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill requires a school district to distribute certain revenues to schools in
10 accordance with a weighted student formula and requires a principal to determine how
11 to use revenues available to the school to meet students' needs.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This bill:
14 . requires a school district to distribute, by July 1, 2017, no less than 85% of
15 Minimum School Program revenues to schools;
16 . requires a school district to allocate Minimum School Program revenues distributed
17 to a school in accordance with a weighted student formula, with exceptions;
18 . directs a school principal to:
19 . prepare a school budget;
20 . consult with an advisory committee in preparing a school budget; and
21 . submit the school budget to the local school board for approval;
22 . requires a school budget to be aligned with and support the school instructional,
23 academic, and student achievement goals;
24 . requires a school principal to determine how to use revenue available to the school
25 to meet the needs of the school's students; and
26 . requires a school district to publish on the school district's website information on
27 revenue available to a school and the school budget.

28 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
29 None
30 Other Special Clauses:
31 None
32 Utah Code Sections Affected:
33 AMENDS:
34 53A-1a-108.5, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2002, Chapter 324
35 ENACTS:
36 53A-2-501, Utah Code Annotated 1953
37 53A-2-502, Utah Code Annotated 1953
38 53A-2-503, Utah Code Annotated 1953
39 53A-2-504, Utah Code Annotated 1953
40 53A-2-505, Utah Code Annotated 1953
41 53A-2-506, Utah Code Annotated 1953
42 53A-2-507, Utah Code Annotated 1953
43
44 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
45 Section 1. Section 53A-1a-108.5 is amended to read:
46 53A-1a-108.5. School improvement plan.
47 (1) (a) Each school community council shall annually evaluate the school's U-PASS
48 test results and use the evaluations in developing a school improvement plan.
49 (b) In evaluating U-PASS test results and developing a school improvement plan, a
50 school community council may not have access to data that reveal the identity of students.
51 (2) Each school improvement plan shall:
52 (a) identify the school's most critical academic needs;
53 (b) recommend a course of action to meet the identified needs;
54 (c) list any programs, practices, materials, or equipment that the school will need to
55 implement its action plan to have a direct impact on the instruction of students and result in
56 measurable increased student performance; and
57 (d) describe how the school intends to enhance or improve academic achievement,
58 including how [financial resources available to the school, such as School LAND Trust

59 Program money received under Section 53A-16-101.5 and state and federal grants,] the school
60 budget will be used to enhance or improve academic achievement.
61 (3) The school improvement plan shall focus on the school's most critical academic
62 needs but may include other actions to enhance or improve academic achievement and
63 community environment for students.
64 (4) The school principal shall make available to the school community council the
65 school budget and other data needed to develop the school improvement plan.
66 (5) The school improvement plan shall be subject to the approval of the local school
67 board of the school district in which the school is located.
68 (6) A school community council may develop a multiyear school improvement plan,
69 but the plan must be presented to and approved annually by the local school board.
70 (7) Each school shall:
71 (a) implement the school improvement plan as developed by the school community
72 council and approved by the local school board;
73 (b) provide ongoing support for the council's plan; and
74 (c) meet local school board reporting requirements regarding performance and
75 accountability.
76 Section 2. Section 53A-2-501 is enacted to read:
77 Part 5. School-based Budgeting Act
78 53A-2-501. Title.
79 This part is known as the "School-based Budgeting Act."
80 Section 3. Section 53A-2-502 is enacted to read:
81 53A-2-502. Definitions.
82 As used in this part:
83 (1) "Minimum School Program revenues" means the following revenues received by a
84 school district:
85 (a) state revenues distributed to a school district for a program funded by a line item
86 appropriation designated as follows:
87 (i) Basic School Program;
88 (ii) Related to Basic Programs; or
89 (iii) Voted and Board Leeway Programs;

90 (b) revenue from a basic levy imposed by the school district under Section
91 53A-17a-135 , except proceeds which exceed the cost of a school district's basic program and
92 are deposited into the Uniform School Fund pursuant to Section 53A-17a-135 ;
93 (c) revenue from a voted local levy imposed by the school district under Section
94 53A-17a-133 ; and
95 (d) revenue from a board local levy imposed by the school district under Section
96 53A-17a-164 .
97 (2) "Weighted student formula" means a formula for distributing money to schools in
98 which a base allocation is set for each student and weights are added to the base allocation
99 depending on student need or other factors.
100 Section 4. Section 53A-2-503 is enacted to read:
101 53A-2-503. Purposes of school-based budgeting.
102 The purposes of school-based budgeting are to:
103 (1) create a system of excellent schools in Utah led by great principals who have the
104 authority, resources, and responsibility to teach all students well;
105 (2) engage those closest to the students in making key decisions that impact the
106 students;
107 (3) empower schools and hold them accountable for results;
108 (4) provide for fair and transparent funding that schools can rely on annually;
109 (5) allow dollars to follow each student;
110 (6) put the resources in the schools;
111 (7) provide a similar level of resources to students with similar characteristics; and
112 (8) develop an equitable, simple, and transparent approach to help schools achieve
113 results for students.
114 Section 5. Section 53A-2-504 is enacted to read:
115 53A-2-504. Distribution of revenue to schools in accordance with a weighted
116 student formula.
117 (1) Beginning on July 1, 2017, a school district shall distribute no less than 85% of
118 Minimum School Program revenues to schools.
119 (2) (a) Except as provided in Subsections (3) and (4), Minimum School Program
120 revenues distributed to schools shall be allocated in accordance with a weighted student

121 formula established by the local school board.
122 (b) A weighted student formula shall allocate revenue distributed to schools under
123 Subsection (1) in a fair and equitable manner that takes into account student needs.
124 (3) Revenue a school district receives for a program funded through a Related to Basic
125 Programs line item appropriation that is restricted for a certain purpose may be allocated to
126 schools in a manner other than a weighted student formula.
127 (4) To mitigate a decrease in resources available to a school, a school district may
128 phase in the implementation of a weighted student formula over a five-year period.
129 Section 6. Section 53A-2-505 is enacted to read:
130 53A-2-505. School budget -- Principal to determine use of school revenue.
131 (1) The principal of each school shall:
132 (a) prepare a budget for the expenditure of revenue distributed to the school under
133 Section 53A-2-504 ;
134 (b) consult with an advisory committee appointed under Subsection (2) in preparing the
135 budget; and
136 (c) submit the budget to the local school board for approval.
137 (2) (a) The principal shall appoint an advisory committee to:
138 (i) review the instructional, academic, and student achievement goals of the school;
139 and
140 (ii) recommend how a school budget may be created to achieve the goals described in
141 Subsection (2)(a)(i).
142 (b) The advisory committee:
143 (i) shall include a parent or guardian member of the school community council who
144 serves as chair of the school community council; and
145 (ii) may include the following personnel employed at the school:
146 (A) administrators;
147 (B) teachers; and
148 (C) instructional support personnel.
149 (3) A school budget prepared and approved under Subsection (1) shall be aligned with
150 and support:
151 (a) the goals described in Subsection (2)(a)(i); and

152 (b) the school improvement plan developed under Section 53A-1a-108.5 .
153 (4) (a) If a local school board disapproves a school budget submitted under Subsection
154 (1), the local school board shall provide a written explanation of why the budget was
155 disapproved and request that the principal revise the budget.
156 (b) The principal shall submit a revised school budget to the local school board for
157 approval.
158 (5) In preparing a school budget, a principal shall determine:
159 (a) how to use revenue available to the school to meet the needs of the school's
160 students;
161 (b) the number and type of both licensed and classified staff positions;
162 (c) the teaching assignments or other work assignments of licensed and classified
163 personnel at the school;
164 (d) how to provide for instructional support services, such as curriculum development
165 or professional development;
166 (e) how to provide for building and grounds maintenance;
167 (f) what instructional materials to acquire, subject to the requirements of Sections
168 53A-13-101 and 53A-14-107 ; and
169 (g) what other resources are necessary for the education of the school's students.
170 Section 7. Section 53A-2-506 is enacted to read:
171 53A-2-506. School budget -- Employee salaries and benefits.
172 A school shall be charged for, and a school budget shall include revenue and
173 expenditures for, the actual cost of the salaries and benefits of personnel employed at the
174 school.
175 Section 8. Section 53A-2-507 is enacted to read:
176 53A-2-507. Revenue and budget information published on school district website.
177 A school district shall publish on the school district's website:
178 (1) the amount of revenue distributed to each school in accordance with Section
179 53A-2-504 ;
180 (2) how the total revenues distributed to a school are calculated using a weighted pupil
181 formula and other allocation formulas;
182 (3) how a weighted pupil formula is phased in over a five-year period pursuant to

183 Section 53A-2-504 ; and
184 (4) each school budget.




Legislative Review Note
as of 12-3-12 7:04 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

[Bill Documents]