S.B. 157

             1     

SCHOOL-BASED BUDGETING AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             5     
House Sponsor: Gregory H. Hughes

             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, 2018, 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, 2018, 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 8-8-13 8:18 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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