1     
MINIMUM SCHOOL PROGRAM AMENDMENTS

2     
2017 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Bruce R. Cutler

5     
Senate Sponsor: Ann Millner

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill amends provisions related to the Minimum School Program.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     amends provisions related to a local school board paying for a student to attend a
13     school district outside of the state;
14          ▸     amends provisions related to necessarily existent small schools;
15          ▸     amends funding requirements for comprehensive guidance programs; and
16          ▸     repeals outdated references to the Teacher Salary Supplement Restricted Account to
17     clarify that funds are directed to the Teacher Salary Supplement Program .
18     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19          None
20     Other Special Clauses:
21          None
22     Utah Code Sections Affected:
23     AMENDS:
24          53A-2-204, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1988, Chapter 2
25          53A-17a-109, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 106
26          53A-17a-113, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 3
27          53A-17a-156, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2016, Chapter 217
28     REPEALS:
29          53A-17a-157, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2015, Chapter 122

30     

31     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
32          Section 1. Section 53A-2-204 is amended to read:
33          53A-2-204. District paying tuition -- Effect on state aid.
34          (1) A local school board may by written agreement pay the tuition of a child attending
35     school in a district outside the state. Both districts shall approve the agreement and file it with
36     the State Board of Education.
37          (2) The average daily membership of the child may be added to that of other eligible
38     children attending schools within the district of residence for the purpose of apportionment of
39     state funds.
40          (3) (a) The district of residence shall bear any excess tuition costs over the state's
41     contribution for attendance in the district of residence unless otherwise approved in advance by
42     the State Board of Education.
43          (b) (i) If a child who resides in a Utah school district's boundaries attends school in a
44     neighboring state under this section, the State Board of Education may make an out-of-state
45     tuition payment to the Utah school district of residence.
46          (ii) If the State Board of Education approves the use of state funds for an out-of-state
47     tuition payment described in Subsection (3)(b)(i), the State Board of Education shall use funds
48     appropriated by the Legislature for necessarily existent small schools as described in Section
49     53A-17a-109.
50          Section 2. Section 53A-17a-109 is amended to read:
51          53A-17a-109. Necessarily existent small schools -- Computing additional
52     weighted pupil units -- Consolidation of small schools.
53          (1) As used in this section:
54          (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
55          (b) "Necessarily existent small schools funding balance" means the difference between:
56          (i) the amount appropriated for the necessarily existent small schools program in a
57     fiscal year; and

58          (ii) the amount distributed to school districts for the necessarily existent small schools
59     program in the same fiscal year.
60          (2) (a) Upon application by a school district, the board shall, in consultation with the
61     local school board, classify schools in the district as necessarily existent small schools, in
62     accordance with this section and board rules adopted under this section.
63          (b) An application must be submitted to the board before April 2, and the board must
64     report a decision to a school district before June 2.
65          (3) The board shall adopt standards and make rules to:
66          (a) govern the approval of necessarily existent small schools consistent with principles
67     of efficiency and economy and which shall serve the purpose of eliminating schools where
68     consolidation is feasible by participation in special school units; and
69          (b) ensure that districts are not building secondary schools in close proximity to one
70     another where economy and efficiency would be better served by one school meeting the needs
71     of secondary students in a designated geographical area.
72          (4) A one or two-year secondary school that has received necessarily existent small
73     school money under this section prior to July 1, 2000, may continue to receive such money in
74     subsequent years under board rule.
75          (5) The board shall prepare and publish objective standards and guidelines for
76     determining which small schools are necessarily existent after consultation with local school
77     boards.
78          (6) (a) Additional weighted pupil units for schools classified as necessarily existent
79     small schools shall be computed using regression formulas adopted by the board.
80          (b) The regression formulas establish the following maximum sizes for funding under
81     the necessarily existent small school program:
82          (i) an elementary school                    160
83          (ii) a one or two-year secondary school          300
84          (iii) a three-year secondary school               450
85          (iv) a four-year secondary school               500

86          (v) a six-year secondary school               600
87          (c) Schools with fewer than 10 students shall receive the same add-on weighted pupil
88     units as schools with 10 students.
89          (d) The board shall prepare and distribute an allocation table based on the regression
90     formula to each school district.
91          (7) (a) To avoid penalizing a district financially for consolidating its small schools,
92     additional weighted pupil units may be allowed a district each year, not to exceed two years.
93          (b) The additional weighted pupil units may not exceed the difference between what
94     the district receives for a consolidated school and what it would have received for the small
95     schools had they not been consolidated.
96          (8) Subject to legislative appropriation, the board shall give first priority from an
97     appropriation made under this section to funding an expense approved by the board as
98     described in Subsection 53A-2-204(3)(a).
99          [(8)] (9) (a) Subject to Subsection [(8)] (9)(b) and after a distribution made under
100     Subsection (8), the board may distribute a portion of necessarily existent small schools funding
101     in accordance with a formula adopted by the board that considers the tax effort of a local
102     school board.
103          (b) The amount distributed in accordance with Subsection [(8)] (9)(a) may not exceed
104     the necessarily existent small schools fund in balance of the prior fiscal year.
105          [(9)] (10) A district may use the money allocated under this section for maintenance
106     and operation of school programs or for other school purposes as approved by the board.
107          Section 3. Section 53A-17a-113 is amended to read:
108          53A-17a-113. Weighted pupil units for career and technical education programs
109     -- Funding of approved programs -- Performance measures -- Qualifying criteria.
110          (1) (a) Money appropriated to the State Board of Education for approved career and
111     technical education programs and the comprehensive guidance program:
112          (i) shall be allocated to eligible recipients as provided in Subsections (2), (3), and (4)[,
113     and (5)]; and

114          (ii) may not be used to fund programs below the ninth grade level.
115          (b) Subsection (1)(a)(ii) does not apply to the following programs:
116          (i) comprehensive guidance;
117          (ii) Technology-Life-Careers; and
118          (iii) work-based learning programs.
119          (2) (a) Weighted pupil units are computed for pupils in approved programs.
120          (b) (i) The board shall fund approved programs based upon hours of membership of
121     9th through 12th grade students.
122          (ii) Subsection (2)(b)(i) does not apply to the following programs:
123          (A) comprehensive guidance;
124          (B) Technology-Life-Careers; and
125          (C) work-based learning programs.
126          (c) The board shall use an amount not to exceed 20% of the total appropriation under
127     this section to fund approved programs based on performance measures such as placement and
128     competency attainment defined in standards set by the board.
129          (d) Leadership organization funds shall constitute an amount not to exceed 1% of the
130     total appropriation under this section, and shall be distributed to each local educational agency
131     sponsoring career and technical education student leadership organizations based on the
132     agency's share of the state's total membership in those organizations.
133          (e) The board shall make the necessary calculations for distribution of the
134     appropriation to school districts and may revise and recommend changes necessary for
135     achieving equity and ease of administration.
136          (3) (a) Twenty weighted pupil units shall be computed for career and technical
137     education administrative costs for each district, except 25 weighted pupil units may be
138     computed for each district that consolidates career and technical education administrative
139     services with one or more other districts.
140          (b) Between 10 and 25 weighted pupil units shall be computed for each high school
141     conducting approved career and technical education programs in a district according to

142     standards established by the board.
143          (c) Forty weighted pupil units shall be computed for each district that operates an
144     approved career and technical education center.
145          (d) Between five and seven weighted pupil units shall be computed for each summer
146     career and technical education agriculture program according to standards established by the
147     board.
148          (e) The board shall, by rule, establish qualifying criteria for districts to receive
149     weighted pupil units under this Subsection (3).
150          (4) (a) Money remaining after the allocations made under Subsections (2) and (3) shall
151     be allocated using average daily membership in approved programs for the previous year.
152          (b) A district that has experienced student growth in grades 9 through 12 for the
153     previous year shall have the growth factor applied to the previous year's weighted pupil units
154     when calculating the allocation of money under this Subsection (4).
155          [(5) Of the money allocated to comprehensive guidance programs pursuant to board
156     rules, $1,000,000 in grants shall be awarded to school districts or charter schools that:]
157          [(a) provide an equal amount of matching funds; and]
158          [(b) do not supplant other funds used for comprehensive guidance programs.]
159          [(6)] (5) (a) The board shall establish rules for the upgrading of high school career and
160     technical education programs.
161          (b) The rules shall reflect career and technical training and actual marketable job skills
162     in society.
163          (c) The rules shall include procedures to assist school districts to convert existing
164     programs which are not preparing students for the job market into programs that will
165     accomplish that purpose.
166          [(7)] (6) Programs that do not meet board standards may not be funded under this
167     section.
168          Section 4. Section 53A-17a-156 is amended to read:
169          53A-17a-156. Teacher Salary Supplement Program -- Appeal process.

170          (1) As used in this section:
171          (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
172          (b) "Certificate teacher" means a teacher who holds a National Board certification.
173          (c) "Eligible teacher" means a teacher who:
174          (i) has an assignment to teach:
175          (A) a secondary school level mathematics course;
176          (B) integrated science in grade seven or eight;
177          (C) chemistry;
178          (D) physics; or
179          (E) computer science;
180          (ii) holds the appropriate endorsement for the assigned course;
181          (iii) has qualifying educational background; and
182          (iv) (A) is a new employee; or
183          (B) received a satisfactory rating or above on the teacher's most recent evaluation.
184          (d) "National Board certification" means the same as that term is defined in Section
185     53A-6-103.
186          (e) "Qualifying educational background" means:
187          (i) for a teacher who is assigned a secondary school level mathematics course:
188          (A) a bachelor's degree major, master's degree, or doctoral degree in mathematics; or
189          (B) a bachelor's degree major, master's degree, or doctoral degree that has course
190     requirements that are substantially equivalent to the course requirements for a bachelor's degree
191     major, master's degree, or doctoral degree in mathematics;
192          (ii) for a teacher who is assigned a grade seven or eight integrated science course,
193     chemistry course, or physics course, a bachelor's degree major, master's degree, or doctoral
194     degree in:
195          (A) integrated science;
196          (B) chemistry;
197          (C) physics;

198          (D) physical science;
199          (E) general science; or
200          (F) a bachelor's degree major, master's degree, or doctoral degree that has course
201     requirements that are substantially equivalent to the course requirements of those required for a
202     degree listed in Subsections (1)(e)(ii)(A) through (E);
203          (iii) for a teacher who is assigned a computer science course, a bachelor's degree major,
204     master's degree, or doctoral degree in:
205          (A) computer science;
206          (B) computer information technology; or
207          (C) a bachelor's degree major, master's degree, or doctoral degree that has course
208     requirements that are substantially equivalent to the course requirements of those required for a
209     degree listed in Subsections (1)(e)(iii)(A) and (B).
210          (f) "Title I school" means a school that receives funds under the Elementary and
211     Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title I, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.
212          (g) "Title I school certificate teacher" means a certificate teacher who is assigned to
213     teach at a Title I school.
214          (2) (a) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall annually appropriate
215     money to [the Teacher Salary Supplement Restricted Account established in Section
216     53A-17a-157 to fund] the Teacher Salary Supplement Program.
217          (b) Money appropriated for the Teacher Salary Supplement Program shall include
218     money for the following employer-paid benefits:
219          (i) retirement;
220          (ii) workers' compensation;
221          (iii) Social Security; and
222          (iv) Medicare.
223          (3) (a) (i) The annual salary supplement for an eligible teacher who is assigned full
224     time to teach one or more courses listed in Subsections (1)(c)(i)(A) through (E) is $4,100.
225          (ii) An eligible teacher who has a part-time assignment to teach one or more courses

226     listed in Subsections (1)(c)(i)(A) through (E) shall receive a partial salary supplement based on
227     the number of hours worked in a course assignment that meets the requirements of Subsections
228     (1)(c)(ii) and (iii).
229          (b) The annual salary supplement for a certificate teacher is $750.
230          (c) (i) The annual salary supplement for a Title I school certificate teacher is $1,500.
231          (ii) A certificate teacher who qualifies for a salary supplement under Subsections (3)(b)
232     and (c) may only receive the salary supplement that is greater in value.
233          (4) The board shall:
234          (a) create an online application system for a teacher to apply to receive a salary
235     supplement through the Teacher Salary Supplement Program;
236          (b) determine if a teacher:
237          (i) (A) is an eligible teacher; and
238          (B) has a course assignment as listed in Subsections (1)(c)(i)(A) through (E);
239          (ii) is a certificate teacher; or
240          (iii) is a Title I school certificate teacher;
241          (c) verify, as needed, the determinations made under Subsection (4)(b) with school
242     district and school administrators; and
243          (d) certify a list of eligible teachers, certificate teachers, and Title I school certificate
244     teachers.
245          (5) (a) An eligible teacher, a certificate teacher, or a Title I school certificate teacher
246     shall apply with the board before the conclusion of a school year to receive the salary
247     supplement authorized in this section.
248          (b) An eligible teacher, a certificate teacher, or a Title I school certificate teacher may
249     apply with the board, after verification that the requirements under this section have been
250     satisfied, to receive a salary supplement after the completion of:
251          (i) the school year as an annual award; or
252          (ii) a semester or trimester as a partial award based on the portion of the school year
253     that has been completed.

254          (6) (a) The board shall establish and administer an appeal process for a teacher to
255     follow if the teacher applies for the salary supplement and is not certified under Subsection (4).
256          (b) (i) The appeal process established in Subsection (6)(a) shall allow a teacher to
257     appeal eligibility as an eligible teacher on the basis that the teacher has a degree or degree
258     major with course requirements that are substantially equivalent to the course requirements for
259     a degree listed in:
260          (A) Subsection (1)(e)(i)(A);
261          (B) Subsections (1)(e)(ii)(A) through (E); or
262          (C) Subsections (1)(e)(iii)(A) and (B).
263          (ii) A teacher shall provide transcripts and other documentation to the board in order
264     for the board to determine if the teacher has a degree or degree major with course requirements
265     that are substantially equivalent to the course requirements for a degree listed in:
266          (A) Subsection (1)(e)(i)(A);
267          (B) Subsections (1)(e)(ii)(A) through (E); or
268          (C) Subsections (1)(e)(iii)(A) and (B).
269          (c) (i) The appeal process established under Subsection (6)(a) shall allow a teacher to
270     appeal eligibility as a certificate teacher on the basis that the teacher holds a current certificate.
271          (ii) A teacher shall provide to the board a certificate or other related documentation in
272     order for the board to determine if the teacher holds a current certificate.
273          (d) (i) The appeal process established under Subsection (6)(a) shall allow a teacher to
274     appeal eligibility as a Title I school certificate teacher on the basis that the teacher:
275          (A) holds a current certificate; and
276          (B) is assigned to teach at a Title I school.
277          (ii) A teacher shall provide to the board:
278          (A) information described in Subsection (6)(c)(ii); and
279          (B) verification that the teacher is assigned to teach at a Title I school.
280          (7) (a) The board shall distribute money [from] appropriated to the Teacher Salary
281     Supplement [Restricted Account] Program to school districts and charter schools for the

282     Teacher Salary Supplement Program in accordance with the provisions of this section.
283          (b) The board shall include the employer-paid benefits described under Subsection
284     (2)(b) in the amount of each salary supplement.
285          (c) The employer-paid benefits described under Subsection (2)(b) are an addition to the
286     salary supplement limits described under Subsection (3).
287          (8) (a) Money received from the Teacher Salary Supplement [Restricted Account]
288     Program shall be used by a school district or charter school to provide a salary supplement
289     equal to the amount specified in Subsection (3) for each eligible teacher, certificate teacher, or
290     Title I school certificate teacher.
291          (b) The salary supplement is part of the teacher's base pay, subject to the teacher's
292     qualification as an eligible teacher, a certificate teacher, or a Title I school certificate teacher
293     every year, semester, or trimester.
294          (9) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if the appropriation for the program
295     is insufficient to cover the costs associated with salary supplements, the board may limit or
296     reduce the salary supplements.
297          Section 5. Repealer.
298          This bill repeals:
299          Section 53A-17a-157, Teacher Salary Supplement Restricted Account.