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H.B. 270

             1     

UTAH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND

             2     
RESEARCH INITIATIVE CENTERS

             3     
2008 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Ron Bigelow

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Lyle W. Hillyard

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill creates an optional grant program to provide an extended year for math and
             11      science teachers through the creation of Utah Science Technology and Research
             12      Initiative (USTAR) Centers.
             13      Highlighted Provisions:
             14          This bill:
             15          .    creates the USTAR Centers Program to provide grants to charter schools and school
             16      districts to pay for costs relating to adopting the program;
             17          .    requires the State Board of Education to solicit grant proposals from charter schools
             18      and school districts and award grants on a competitive basis;
             19          .    directs the State Board of Education, in selecting grant recipients, to consider:
             20              .    certain benefits that may be achieved by a school district's adoption of the
             21      program; and
             22              .    the unique circumstances of charter schools and school districts; and
             23          .    requires the State Board of Education to make a report for three years.
             24      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             25          This bill appropriates:
             26          .    as an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, $11,000,000 from
             27      the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2008-09 to the State Board of Education.


             28      Other Special Clauses:
             29          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2008.
             30      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             31      ENACTS:
             32          53A-17a-154, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             33     
             34      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             35          Section 1. Section 53A-17a-154 is enacted to read:
             36          53A-17a-154. Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative Centers Program.
             37          (1) (a) The Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) Centers
             38      Program is created to provide a financial incentive for charter schools and school districts to
             39      adopt programs that result in a more efficient use of human resources and capital facilities.
             40          (b) The potential benefits of the program include:
             41          (i) increased compensation for math and science teachers by providing opportunities
             42      for an expanded contract year which will enhance school districts' and charter schools' ability to
             43      attract and retain talented and highly qualified math and science teachers;
             44          (ii) increased capacity of school buildings by using buildings more hours of the day or
             45      more days of the year, resulting in reduced capital facilities costs;
             46          (iii) decreased class sizes created by expanding the number of instructional
             47      opportunities in a year;
             48          (iv) opportunities for earlier high school graduation;
             49          (v) improved student college preparation;
             50          (vi) increased opportunities to offer additional remedial and advanced courses in math
             51      and science;
             52          (vii) opportunities to coordinate high school and post-secondary math and science
             53      education; and
             54          (viii) the creation or improvement of science, technology, engineering, and math
             55      centers (STEM Centers).
             56          (2) From monies appropriated for the USTAR Centers Program, the State Board of
             57      Education shall award grants to charter schools and school districts to pay for costs related to
             58      the adoption and implementation of the program.


             59          (3) The State Board of Education shall:
             60          (a) solicit proposals from the State Charter School Board and school districts for the
             61      use of grant monies to facilitate the adoption and implementation of the program; and
             62          (b) award grants on a competitive basis.
             63          (4) The State Charter School Board shall:
             64          (a) solicit proposals from charter schools that may be interested in participating in the
             65      USTAR Centers Program;
             66          (b) prioritize the charter school proposals and consolidate them into the equivalent of a
             67      single school district request; and
             68          (c) submit the consolidated request to the State Board of Education.
             69          (5) In selecting a grant recipient, the State Board of Education shall consider:
             70          (a) the degree to which a charter school or school district's proposed adoption and
             71      implementation of an extended year for math and science teachers achieves the benefits
             72      described in Subsection (1);
             73          (b) the unique circumstances of different urban, rural, large, small, growing, and
             74      declining charter schools and school districts; and
             75          (c) providing pilot programs in as many different school districts and charter schools as
             76      possible.
             77          (6) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (6)(b), a school district or charter school may
             78      only use grant monies to provide full year teacher contracts, part-time teacher contract
             79      extensions, or combinations of both, for math and science teachers.
             80          (b) Up to 5% of the grant monies may be used to fund math and science field trips,
             81      textbooks, and supplies.
             82          (7) Participation in the USTAR Centers Program shall be:
             83          (a) voluntary for an individual teacher; and
             84          (b) voluntary for a charter school or school district.
             85          (8) The State Board of Education shall make an annual report during the 2009, 2010,
             86      and 2011 interims to the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee describing the
             87      program's impact on students and its effectiveness at achieving the benefits described in
             88      Subsection (1).
             89          Section 2. Appropriation.


             90          As an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, there is appropriated
             91      from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2008-09, $11,000,000 to the State Board of
             92      Education to fund the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) Centers
             93      Program created in Section 53A-17a-154 .
             94          Section 3. Effective date.
             95          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2008.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-9-08 7:11 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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