Compendium of Budget Information for the 2011 General Session
| Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subcommittee Table of Contents | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Agency: State Board of Education Line Item: State Office of Education Function The Utah State Office of Education (USOE) functions as support staff to the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The USOE provides information and direction relating to public education policy, procedure and program implementation. Staff at USOE provides statewide service, support and direction to local school districts and charter schools. The State Board of Education appoints a State Superintendent of Public Instruction to act as the executive officer of the Board and the Superintendent serves at the pleasure of the Board. The Superintendent administers all programs assigned to the State Board of Education. Specifically, the Superintendent acts as the chief liaison with the Legislature and state and federal agencies, creates a strategic plan for Utah's public education system, coordinates between the State Board of Education and the State Charter School Board, works with higher education to create a seamless education system, and provides final approval of policy and budget matters. In addition to the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent, the state office of education houses several operating sections whose work maintains the state administration of public education. For budgeting purposes, the USOE line-item is divided into four sub-sections, they include: State Board of Education - Administration; Student Achievement; Data & Business Services; and Law, Legislation and Educational Services. Prior to FY 2009, the State Office of Education operated two internal service funds (ISFs)--State Board of Education ISF and Superintendent Indirect Cost Pool--that were used to support USOE's internal operations. The Indirect Cost Pool is still in operation, however, the State Board ISF, mainly used for print and mail services by the Board, was dissolved as part of streamlining state print and mail operations. Statutory Authority Unlike other state agencies, the state office of education does not have specific statutory language creating the office. However, state level administration of the public education system is detailed throughout statute. Many statutes refer to the state office of education, require the state office to provide reports, specifically direct USOE functions, or provide for USOE administration of certain education programs. The state level education administration statutes can be found in UCA Title 53A, Chapter 1. Each subsequent Statutory Authority section in this chapter provides highlights of major statutes detailing office functions or specific programs contained in the given USOE Section. The appointment, duties, and responsibilities of the State Superintendent can be found in the following statutes:
Special Funds The State Office of Education receives revenue from four restricted sources. Funds received from the General Fund-Substance Abuse Prevention account support substance abuse prevention and education programs in the schools. The Uniform School Fund-Professional Practices restricted revenue supports the processing of teacher licenses and the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (now done in the Educator Licensing line-item). The Uniform School Fund-Interest and Dividends revenue comes from the investment of monies in the permanent State School Fund and any interest on account monies. Funds from this account are used at USOE to administer the School LAND Trust Program. The majority of funds from this account are distributed to school districts and charter schools through the Minimum School Program. The General Fund Restricted-Land Exchange Distribution Account was created out of House Bill 134 from the 2007 General Session. According to statute, monies are set aside for "education research and experimentation in the use of staff and facilities designed to improve the quality of education in Utah." Funding Detail Although the total State Office of Education budget in FY 2010 was $290 million, the actual operating budget of USOE is significantly less. Of the total revenue in FY 2010, approximately 13 percent funded USOE operations and the remaining 87 percent was passed on to local school districts, charter schools, or other education entities. The USOE acts as the fiscal agent for most federal support programs and grants administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The federal funding that supports education programs at the local level flows through the USOE. Federal funds made up 88 percent of the USOE budget in FY 2010.
Program: Board of Education - Administration Function The State Board of Education directs education policy and makes rules governing education administration. The Board has three subcommittees: Student Achievement & School Success; Law and Policy; and Finance & Operations. The Finace & Operations subcommittee also acts as the State Board Audit Committee that meets as needed. The Utah State Board of Education is made up of fifteen members represent electoral districts, two non-voting members appointed by the State Board of Regents, and several non-voting advisory members representing various organizations. A total of three full-time equivalent staff positions are budgeted as part of the State Board of Education - Administration program. These positions include the Secretary to the State Board, an internal auditor, and an administrative assistant position. The budget presented in this section provides for board members' per diem, travel and other related expenses, as well as board member and staff salaries. Statutory Authority Article 10, Section 3 of the Utah Constitution establishes the State Board.
The following statutes detail specific functions of the State Board:
Funding Detail The budget detailed below provides for Board member per diem, travel, and other expenses incurred while performing board duties. The budget also includes the salaries and benefits for the Board's three full time staff, which was increased to 3.0 FTEs in FY 2009 from the two previously approved in FY 2008.
Function The Student Achievement division provides leadership and support to local school districts & charter schools, regional service centers, public and private schools, post-secondary educational instructors, parents, teachers, and educational agencies. In FY 2010, it accounted for approximately ninety-six percent of the total Utah State Office of Education budget, largely due to an influx of ARRA funds and movement across the line-item during budget reductions. The work of the division is focuses on the following major issue areas: Curriculum and Instruction - assists districts with individual subject planning and curriculum development. It defines, develops, disseminates, and implements core curriculum standards and other curriculum requirements of the State Board or the Legislature. Career and Technical Education (CTE) - provides leadership and assistance to school districts and Applied Technology Colleges regarding secondary vocational education. It develops curricula for secondary CTE programs and works with local employers to ensure training is relevant to employer needs. CTE works with the Utah College of Applied Technology in administering CTE to high school students. Evaluation and Assessment - oversees the statewide testing and evaluation of students, develops standardized tests, provides training to district testing directors, and supervises the evaluation of standardized tests. This section administers Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (U-PASS), the state's assessment and accountability system and its components. Services for at Risk Students - administers targeted statewide programs for students that require additional services in order to succeed. Major programs include Special Education, Alternative Language Services, Dropout Prevention, Youth in Custody, and Homeless Education. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 revised the Elementary and Secondary Education Act with the goal to provide all school children with the opportunity to achieve academic success. The Act indicates the following four principles: accountability for results, expanded state and local flexibility, expanded choices for parents, and focusing resources on proven educational methods, particularly in reading instruction. Statutory Authority Student Achievement directly oversees many of the major initiatives passed by the Legislature or the federal government. The two largest initiatives include U-PASS and the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The following statutory references detail, in part, functions of the division.
Special Funds Student Achievement receives General Fund Restricted revenue. The GFR-Substance Abuse Prevention Account is defined in UCA 63-63a-5. Statute provides that 2.5% of the account (not to exceed Legislative appropriation) be allocated to the State Office of Education. Funding provides programs in the public schools with support for the following areas: substance abuse prevention and education; substance abuse prevention training for teachers and administrators; and district and school programs to supplement existing local prevention efforts in cooperation with local substance abuse authorities. Funding Detail Division revenue comes primarily from the federal government, accounting for approximately 92 percent of the budget. Revenue from the Education Fund provides for the majority of division operating expenses. The division receives General Fund Restricted revenue (detailed in the Special Funding section), Federal Mineral Lease Revenue, and Dedicated Credits Revenue. The Utah Education Network (UEN) provides funding for personnel and services for technology training at the USOE. In addition to the funding sources mentioned above, the division is also funded from Dedicated Credits through private grants, grants from other state agencies, funds for the Safe and Drug Free Schools program, and vocational education. The majority of revenue is passed through to local school districts and charter schools. The pass through expenditure strongly correlates with the federal fund revenue received by the agency. Approximately 88 percent of the budget was passed through to locals in FY 2010, leaving approximately 12 percent to fund division operations.
Program: Data and Business Services Function The Division of Data and Business Services is responsible for providing the State Office of Education, school districts and charter schools with support in the areas of finance & statistics, internal accounting, computer services, and human resources. Statutory Authority As with all the USOE divisions, Data and Business Services is not defined in statute. As stated above, the division is responsible for accounting, allocation of funds, and statistical information. Fund allocation, tracking, and reporting constitute the majority of division activities. The following statutory references detail programs which prescribe fund allocation, annual reports, or statistical estimations that are done by the section.
Special Funds The General Fund Restricted--Land Exchange Distribution Account was created out of legislation (House Bill 134) during the 2007 General Session. The account was created to collect the state's portion of Mineral Lease funds on former federal lands that are now school trust lands. These funds are then distributed to the various entities in amounts determined by statutory formula. The State Board of Education receives 1.68 percent of all deposits made to the General Fund restricted account, "Land Exchange Distribution Account". According to statute, funds received by the Board of Education are to be used for "education research and experimentation in the use of staff and facilities designed to improve the quality of education in Utah." The Legislature must appropriate these funds to the Board of Education each year before they can be transferred by the Division of Finance. Funding Detail The Education Fund provides the majority of revenue for division operations. Revenue from the federal government fluctuates as grants or programs are obtained or expire. Dedicated credits, generated through billings to the school districts, comprise the remaining revenue that supports the Data and Business Services division. School districts purchase computer programming, software, and other services to support their accounting and student information systems. The billings cover the related IT costs at USOE.
Program: Law, Legislation and Educational Services Function The Law, Legislation and Educational Services division provides leadership and support for local school districts, educators, and other education institutions. It combines Educational Equity, Educator Licensing, the Electronic High School, Government and Legislative Relations, Planning and Education Programs, the Utah Education Network, and Public Relations into one division. The budget for Educator Licensing is part of a separate line-item (see section on Educator Licensing). Statutory Authority The major statutes referring to functions of Law, Legislation and Education Services deal with educator licensing, evaluation, and standards. The following statutes detail some of the requirements overseen by the division:
Special Funds The Uniform School Fund Restricted--Interest and Dividends Account contains funds "derived from the investment of monies in the permanent State School Fund". Interest on account monies is deposited in the account and upon appropriation by the Legislature, "monies from the Interest and Dividends Account shall be used for the School LAND Trust Program". Any remaining balances may be appropriated by the Legislature for "support of the public education system". Funding Detail
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