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Glossary of Legislative Terms
General Legislative and Financial Terms
- AMENDMENT
- Changes in an introduced bill are made by amendment. An amendment may add to, substitute for or delete material.
- ANTI-DONATION CLAUSE
- Article
9, Section 14 of the constitution of New Mexico. The provision that
prohibits the state from making direct grants of aid to entities or
persons, despite the need or value of the project, unless the strict
requirements of the provision are satisfied.
- APPROPRIATION
- The allocation
of public money for a particular purpose by the act of the legislature,
approved by the governor. Article 4, Section 30 of the constitution
of New Mexico requires that appropriations distinctly specify the sum
appropriated and the object to which it is to be applied. In addition,
appropriation measures specify the fund from which the appropriation
is made, the state agency to whom the appropriation goes, the fiscal
years in which the appropriation can be expended or encumbered and
whether the balance of the appropriation will revert to the funding
source.
- ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION
- Section
8-5-2 NMSA 1978 authorizes the attorney general to "give his opinion
in writing upon any question of law submitted to him by the legislature
or any branch thereof, any state official, elective or appointive,
or any district attorney . . .". The attorney general's opinion is
respected as that of the state's chief legal officer; however, the
opinion does not have the force of law.
- BILL
- The form, used to propose
laws, that has been introduced in the legislature and may originate
in either house. Bills create, empower, impose duties or obligations,
prohibit acts, appropriate money or do any combination of these things.
- BILL DRAFT
- Any piece of written
legislation, at whatever stage of preparation, that has not yet been
introduced as a bill.
- BUDGET ADJUSTMENT REQUEST (BAR)
- State
agencies and higher education institutions may request changes to approved
operating budgets under certain conditions. The proposed BAR must be
approved by the state budget division of the department of finance
and administration. The legislative finance committee has authority
to review a BAR, but has no authority over approval of the BAR.
- BUDGET CATEGORIES
- The expenditure
categories of a state agency budget, consisting of line items, by which
the legislature appropriates money in the general appropriation act.
The 10 state budget categories are: personal services; employee benefits;
travel; maintenance and repairs; supplies and materials; contractual
services; operating costs; other costs; capital outlay; and out-of-state
travel.
- BUDGET CYCLE
- The four phases
of the budget process, i.e., preparation, enactment, execution and
audit.
- CALENDAR
- Daily calendars, printed
for each house, list for each legislative day the numbers and titles
of bills, memorials and resolutions to be considered under the several
orders of business.
- CALL OF THE CHAIR
- A floor session
is recessed subject to the "call of the chair" when it is necessary
to hold another floor session at an undetermined time on the same day.
Also, some committees do not have set meeting times and meet only at
the call of the chair.
- CALL OF THE HOUSE or SENATE
- A
legislative prerogative that requires all members of a legislative
body to be present before the legislative action on which the "call" is
put may proceed. The requirements for a "call" of each body are specified
in the rules of that body.
- CERTIFICATE OF CONDOLENCE or CONGRATULATIONS
- Joint
rules of the legislature prohibit the use of a bill, resolution or
memorial for an official expression of condolence, congratulations
or acknowledgment of achievement. The rules provide for the issuance
of appropriate certificates for these occasions. Normally, a legislator
should submit his request for a certificate to the chief clerk of the
appropriate house.
- COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
- When the
house or senate meets as a full committee, with committee rules in
effect, rather than in a plenary session with floor rules in effect.
- COMMITTEE REPORT
- The official
report to the floor of the body that recommends a particular action
to the body. A committee report documents the recommendation of a committee
or conference committee on a particular bill.
- COMPILATION or COMP
- The New Mexico
Statutes Annotated (the red statute books referred to as NMSA 1978
in statutory and other formal references) are the volumes in which
the bills enacted into law are compiled under the direction and approval
of the New Mexico compilation commission for publication and use by
the public. The assigning of compilation numbers is authorized by law,
but is not the law itself. The comp includes bracketed references and
other notes of the compiler that are designed to assist the reader,
but they are not the law. The comp is solely an annotated compilation
of the law; the law is what is passed by the legislature, signed by
the governor and printed as the session laws of a given year.
- CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
- Committees
made up of members from each house who are appointed to work out a
compromise on a bill that the two houses could not agree on. A conference
committee is appointed by each house and each conference committee
reports to its house by conference committee report. Both conference
committee reports must be identical, and both must be passed by the
body before the bill is passed.
- CONFLICTS LIST
- A reference document
published by the legislative council service that shows how many bills
include the same compilation sections and the action taken by each
bill. The legislature can ameliorate conflicts by substituting several
bills into one or by passing one bill and letting similar or conflicting
bills die.
- DAILY BILL LOCATOR
- A reference
document published by the legislative council service that tracks every
piece of legislation introduced. It informs the reader of the date
of introduction, committee referrals, dates of progress, whether the
legislation has been amended, date of passage in each house and the
vote, date of signature by the governor and chapter number.
- DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATION
- An appropriation
to meet obligations incurred in a prior fiscal year.
- DELAYED REPEAL
- A section of a
bill that provides for the future repeal of a section of law. Delayed
repeal and sunset are often confused, but, in fact, are not synonymous
actions. Repeal eliminates a provision of law; sunset eliminates an
agency of government.
- DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
(DFA)
- The executive agency generally responsible for finance
and management in state government. The department is comprised of
the state budget, financial control, local government, management
and contracts review and board of finance divisions.
- DRAFTER or BILL DRAFTER
- Refers
to the professional staff members of the legislative council service
who take requests from legislators and write the bill or other legislative
proposal in compliance with the request. Some bill drafters are attorneys,
but they are prohibited by legislative council rules from giving legal
opinions.
- E&E or ENROLLING AND ENGROSSING
- The
preparation of the final authoritative version of a bill passed by
both houses of the legislature. The preparation is performed by the
house of introduction and incorporates all amendments adopted and agreed
to by both houses.
- EFFECTIVE DATE
- Article 4, Section
23 of the constitution of New Mexico provides that laws go into effect
90 days after the adjournment of the legislature enacting them, unless
a later date is specified. A bill that does not contain an emergency
clause cannot have an effective date earlier than 90 days after the
end of the session.
- EMERGENCY CLAUSE
- A section inserted
at the end of a bill that allows the bill to take effect immediately
upon passage and approval by the governor. An emergency clause requires
a two-thirds' vote in each house. A bill with an emergency clause that
does not pass by the required vote goes into effect 90 days after adjournment.
- EXECUTIVE BUDGET
- A comprehensive
set of appropriation recommendations to support state agencies, public
schools and higher education for a fiscal year proposed by the governor
and presented to the legislature for its consideration.
- FEED BILL (HB 1)
- The bill that
funds the operations of the legislature for the legislative session
and the continued operations of the legislature for the upcoming fiscal
year. This includes the funds for legislative per diem and mileage
and the salaries for session and full-time legislative staff. The bill
is traditionally introduced as House Bill 1.
- FISCAL IMPACT REPORT (FIR)
- An
analysis of a bill, prepared by the legislative finance committee staff,
that estimates the effect the bill will have on the state's finances
if passed. FIRs address direct and indirect costs as well as revenue
changes resulting from the proposed legislation.
- FISCAL YEAR (FY)
- The state fiscal
year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following calendar
year. Fiscal years are known by the year in which they end, so the
fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999 and ending June 30, 2000 is known
as "Fiscal Year 2000".
- FLOOR AMENDMENTS
- Floor amendments
are submitted after a bill has been placed on third reading and final
passage and may only be proposed by the members of the house considering
the bill. Each floor amendment is taken up and voted on in the order
that it is submitted and, if adopted, becomes a consecutively numbered
floor amendment to the bill under consideration.
- FTE (FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT)
- The
method of quantifying the authorized work force for state agencies.
For example, an FTE position may be filled by one full-time employee
or two or more part-time or temporary employees.
- GENERAL FUND
- The fund to which
certain state revenues are dedicated and from which is usually appropriated
the ongoing support of state agencies, public schools and higher education.
- HOUSE BILL 2 (HB 2)
- The general
appropriation act that funds the functions of government for the next
fiscal year. By tradition, HB 2 is introduced by the chairman of the
house appropriations and finance committee (HAFC) and then substituted
in that committee.
- INTERIM COMMITTEE
- A committee
of the legislature that meets when the legislature is not in session.
An interim committee has no power to bind the legislature; it can only
propose action to the legislature. An interim committee may not meet
and has no power when the legislature is in session.
- JACKETED BILL
- A bill that is
formally bound and ready for introduction to the legislature. House
jackets are yellow; senate jackets are blue.
- JOURNAL
- The official records
of all legislative action in the house and senate. Article 4, Section
12 of the constitution of New Mexico requires that each house keep
a journal of its proceedings.
- LEGISLATIVE DAY
- A legislative
day, as opposed to a calendar day, is kept separately by each house.
It is a peculiar legislative mechanism that is needed to satisfy certain
constitutional legislative requirements such as the reading of legislation
on different days.
- LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE (LFC)
BUDGET
- A comprehensive set of appropriation recommendations to
support state agencies, public schools and higher education for a
fiscal year proposed by the LFC and presented to the legislature
for its consideration.
- LINE ITEM VETO, PARTIAL VETO
- The
governor may veto parts of a bill containing an appropriation and then
sign the remaining (unvetoed) portion of the bill into law.
- MEMORIAL
- A formal expression
of legislative desire, usually addressed to another governmental body,
in the form of a petition or declaration of intent. A memorial does
not have the force of law. Memorials can be either joint or simple
and require no action on the part of the governor. Joint memorials
are acted on by both houses. Simple memorials are those of only one
house and do not require the approval or acquiescence of the other
house.
- OPERATING BUDGET
- The budget of
a state agency, school district or higher education institution governing
the expenditure of public money, usually for ongoing purposes. By law,
operating budgets must have the prior approval of the state budget
division of the department of finance and administration, commission
on higher education or state department of public education.
- OTHER STATE FUNDS
- Revenues outside
of the general fund that are dedicated to a particular agency or program
of government. For example, revenues to the state road fund and expenditures
of the state highway and transportation department from that fund are
classified as "other state funds".
- RESOLUTION
- A formal declaration
of the legislature concerning a certain subject it cannot or does not
wish to control by law. Resolutions are either joint, concurrent or
simple, and require no action on the part of the governor. The most
common resolution is a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the
constitution of New Mexico. Resolutions may also be used to propose
or ratify amendments to the United States constitution and other specified
purposes.
- ROLL THE CLOCK
- Refers to the
changing of a legislative day. The clock may be rolled at any time
during a floor session, although it is not required. Alternatively,
the clock may be rolled more than once during a floor session.
- SESSION LAWS
- The full, complete
and authentic version of every law enacted, including temporary and
other noncompiled provisions, published in a volume entitled "Laws
of New Mexico, 19__". The laws are printed in the numerical sequence
in which they are received and assigned chapter numbers by the secretary
of state. These volumes also contain the text of all proposed amendments
to the constitution of New Mexico.
- SEVERABILITY CLAUSE
- The standard
clause reads: "If any part or application of this act is held invalid,
the remainder or its application to other situations or persons shall
not be affected.". Ultimately, the court decides what is severable.
- SINE DIE
- A Latin term literally
meaning "without day". It normally refers to the final adjournment
of a particular session. The term means that the legislature adjourns
without appointing a day on which to assemble again.
- SPECIAL SESSION
- A legislative
session other than the regular session that starts on the third Tuesday
of January each year. Special sessions may be called by the governor,
or the legislature in certain circumstances, as provided in Article
4, Section 6 of the constitution of New Mexico.
- SPONSOR
- The legislator who introduces
a bill. The prime sponsor is presumed to be the legislator
who signs directly below the words "INTRODUCED BY" on the jacketed
bill; all other signers are considered co-sponsors.
- STANDING COMMITTEE
- A committee
of the house or senate when the legislature is in session. A standing
committee proposes action to the body; it has no power to act for the
body. A standing committee only exists when the legislature is in session,
except the senate rules committee, which is authorized by the constitution
to function in the interim.
- SUBJECT INDEX
- A reference document
published weekly by the legislative council service that indexes introduced
bills by subject matter.
- SUBSTITUTE or SUB
- Refers to a
substitute bill. A substitute can be made for a bill whenever the bill
is open to amendment. If adopted, the substitute takes the place of
the original bill. A substitute is usually drafted for a bill that
has been heavily amended and is, therefore, difficult to track. Sometimes
a substitute is drafted to incorporate parts of several bills dealing
with the same topic. There are no individual sponsors on a substitute
bill.
- SUNSET ACT
- Provides procedures
for legislative review, termination and renewal of agency life. It
also provides a one-year period for the agency to wind up its affairs.
- SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION
- An
appropriation to augment the current year's operating budget.
- VETO
- The governor's rejection
of a bill. The governor has 20 days after a session ends in which to
act on any bill that is not presented to him for signature until the
last three days of the session. He must act on bills presented to him
earlier within three days. The governor's veto power is governed by
Article 4, Section 22 of the constitution of New Mexico.
- VETO OVERRIDE
- Accomplished by
a two-thirds' majority vote taken by both houses as provided in Article
4, Section 22 of the constitution of New Mexico.
- VOTING RECORD
- A compendium of
the votes taken on the floor of each legislative body throughout a
legislative session. Voting records are public records and are kept
and maintained by the legislative council service.
Selected Education Definitions
SELECTED EDUCATION PROGRAM DEFINITIONS
- ALTERNATIVE TESTING PROGRAMS
- Testing
that measures student performance without reliance on multiple choice
and other traditional testing methods. Such alternatives (e.g., portfolios
and demonstrations of mastery) also promote the development of problem
solving and other higher level cognitive skills.
- ANCILLARY SERVICES
- Therapeutic
or special assistance that an exceptional child assigned to a special
education program may need in addition to placement in the special
education program. Ancillary services must be provided directly by
certified personnel and be part of the exceptional child's individualized
educational program (IEP). Examples include such services as speech,
language, physical or occupational therapy; orientation and mobility
services; interpreter and educational audiology services for the hearing
impaired; and psychological services. (Also referred to as related
services.)
- BILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
- Programs
subject to State Board of Education (SBE) approval prior to state funding
that are implemented by districts to enable students to learn through
two languages to understand and participate in the cultures of their
environment.
- CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT
- A law that
allows the SBE to authorize an individual school within a school district
to develop and implement an alternative educational curriculum and
to develop and utilize a school-based budget.
- COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL REFORM DEMONSTRATION
(CSRD)
- A federal competitive grant program that provides financial
incentives for schools that need to substantially improve student
achievement, particularly Title I schools, to implement comprehensive
school reform programs that are based on reliable research and effective
practices. During the 1998-99 school year, New Mexico received $1.2
million.
- COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LAW
- A
requirement that any qualified student and any person who, because
of his or her age is eligible to become a qualified student, must attend
a public school, a private school, a home school or a state institution
until attaining the age of majority. A qualified student is defined
as a public school student who: (1) has not graduated from high school;
(2) is regularly enrolled in one-half or more of the minimum course
requirements approved by SBE for public school students; and (3) is
at least five years of age prior to 12:01 a.m. on September 1 of the
school year.
- COMPUTERS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM
- A
program administered by the educational technology bureau at the state
department of public education (SDE) to help school districts subsidize
the cost of computers. In the 1998 special session, the legislature
appropriated $1 million to provide a state match for the computers
in the schools program. Computers will be subsidized at a rate of $450
each until the fund is exhausted. School districts have two options
from which to choose. Option I is a 200MMX Pentium computer, which
costs $650; Option II is a 266 Pentium II computer, which costs $725.
The costs to school districts for these options are $200 and $275 respectively.
In addition to administering the appropriation, SDE will evaluate applications
from school districts for computer assistance.
- DROPOUT
- A person who has not
graduated from high school, who leaves school or is disenrolled for
any reason except transfer to another school or death.
- EDUCATIONAL RETIREMENT ACT (ERA)
- A
law that spells out details of membership in and administration of
New Mexico's educational retirement program.
- E-RATE
- A federal program, pursuant
to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which provides public schools
and libraries discounts on telecommunications services (regular phone
charges) and infrastructure (anything behind a computer, which provides
a connection to the internet). These discounts range from 20 percent
to 90 percent based on the poverty rate as defined in Title I (percentage
of students eligible for free and reduced lunches). The only requirements
are that schools must have a technology plan that is approved by the
SDE and that they submit the application form to the federal agency
administering the E-Rate program, which is the schools and libraries
corporation (SLC).
- FAMILY IN NEED OF SERVICES ACT (FINS)
- A
referral process to identify and provide early intervention services
to children and their families considered at risk because of collapse
of the family unit.
- GOALS 2000
- A federal initiative
signed into law on March 31, 1994 (Goals 2000: Educate America Act),
which provides resources to states and communities to develop and implement
comprehensive education reforms aimed at helping students reach the
following challenging academic and occupational skill standards:
1. By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn.
2. By the year 2000, the high school
graduation rate will increase to at least 90 percent.
3. By the year 2000, all students will
leave grades 4, 8 and 12 having demonstrated competency over challenging
subject matter, including English, mathematics, science, foreign languages,
civics and government, economics, arts, history and geography; and
every school in America will ensure that all students learn to use
their minds well, so that they may be prepared for responsible citizenship,
further learning and productive employment in our nation's modern economy.
4. By the year 2000, the nation's teaching
force will have access to programs for the continued improvement of
their professional skills and the opportunity to acquire the knowledge
and skills needed to instruct and prepare all American students for
the next century.
5. By the year 2000, United States
students will be first in the world in mathematics and science achievement.
6. By the year 2000, every adult American
will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary
to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities
of citizenship.
7. By the year 2000, every school in
the United States will be free of drugs, violence and the unauthorized
presence of firearms and alcohol and will offer a disciplined environment
conducive to learning.
8. By the year 2000, every school will
promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation
in promoting the social, emotional and academic growth of children.
Two Additional New Mexico Goals:
1. New Mexico students will leave grade
12 with an understanding of the arts and demonstrated competency in
at least one form of artistic expression.
2. New Mexico students will leave grade
12 with an understanding of the cultural heritage of the state and
competency in English and at least one other language.
- HOME SCHOOL
- A home study program
authorized by law that provides a basic academic educational program
operated by a parent, guardian or other person having custody of a
school-aged person.
- INCLUSION
- A policy pertaining
to special education students requiring that students with disabilities
be educated and participate in all aspects of school life with their
nondisabled peers in the least restrictive educational environment
to the maximum extent appropriate.
- INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM
(IEP)
- An individualized plan required by federal law for all
students in special education that contains yearly goals as determined
by the parent or guardian, the teacher and other members of the student's
IEP team.
- INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
- School
textbooks and supplementary instructional material adopted by the SBE
pursuant to the Instructional Material Law. School districts, state
institutions and adult basic education centers must select at least
70 percent of instructional material for the use of their students
from the official state list of approved material. Private schools
receiving instructional material allocations from the state must select
100 percent of material purchased with those funds from the official
list.
- INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL TEXTBOOK DEPOSITORIES
- Distribution
points in New Mexico functioning to distribute to schools instructional
material received on consignment from publishers.
- LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD
- A statutorily
created local board of education made up of either five or seven members
elected at large or by geographic district (in larger school districts)
in each of the state's 89 school districts. The local board supervises
and controls all public schools in its district.
- OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION (OBE)
- An
educational philosophy based on the concept that educators and their
respective communities determine what students should learn to achieve
a high level of performance by the time they graduate ("outcomes"),
find ways to measure those outcomes and allow teachers time and resources
to help students achieve the outcomes.
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Activities
designed to improve educators' performance and the achievement of their
students (e.g., formal course work, in service programs, professional
conferences and peer coaching).
- PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE
- New Mexico
statutes governing the state's public schools.
- PUBLIC SCHOOL INSURANCE AUTHORITY
ACT (PSIA)
- A law that provides comprehensive core insurance programs
for all eligible public and post-secondary schools, school board
members and school employees, as well as their eligible dependents.
- PUBLIC SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION
- Transportation
to and from public schools that is guaranteed by statute for all New
Mexico students who live beyond a minimum distance from school. Transportation
costs are fully funded by the state and transportation may either be
provided by local school districts or private contractors.
- REGIONAL COOPERATIVE CENTERS (RCCs)
- Seven
local education cooperatives made up of school districts. RCCs coordinate
and provide federally funded special education and other services to
member districts. One of the member districts acts as a fiscal agent.
- REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL COOPERATIVE
(RECs)
- Three local education cooperatives made up of school districts.
Like RCCs, they coordinate and provide federally funded special education
and other services to member districts. Unlike RCCs, they act as
their own fiscal agents.
- RELEARNING
- Educational philosophy
based on nine common principles of learning designed to influence the
restructuring of all levels of the educational system from the schoolhouse
to the statehouse to help students learn to use their minds well.
- RESTRUCTURING
- A long-term commitment
to bring about fundamental, systemic change in education based on the
premise that all students can and must develop higher level thinking
skills.
- RETIREE HEALTH CARE ACT (RHCA)
- An
act that provides comprehensive health insurance for retirees and the
spouses and dependents of those retiring from certain public service
positions in New Mexico.
- SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITION
- A process
related to the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act. The act authorizes
grants to states and communities to help young people make the transition
from education to employment. The act requires eligible school-to-work
programs to include school-based learning, work-based learning and
connecting activities. The act includes a repeal clause of 2001.
- SCHOOL YEAR
- One hundred eighty
days of instruction, or the equivalent as established in law and offered
by public schools in a school district during a period of 12 consecutive
months.
- SITE-BASED MANAGEMENT
- A philosophy
of management in which decisions regarding curriculum and resource
allocation are made at the school site by those who are closest to
the source of education: the principal, teachers, parents, community
groups and students.
- SPECIAL EDUCATION
- State-funded
programs approved by SBE providing services in addition to those provided
in the regular school program to meet the needs of exceptional children
as outlined in their IEPs.
- SPECIAL PROJECTS
- Educational
programs designed to improve student achievement or provide professional
development activities. Special projects are sometimes funded categorically
by the legislature outside the public school funding formula.
- STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION (SBE)
- A
constitutionally created, 15 member governing authority for the state's
public schools and vocational education programs.
- STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
(SDE)
- A constitutionally created agency subject to the policies
of SBE and direction of the state superintendent of public instruction
that supervises schools and school officials under the authority
of SBE.
- SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
- A
constitutional officer appointed by and subject to policies established
by SBE.
- SYSTEMIC CHANGE
- A reform movement
focusing on the establishment of high expectations of all students,
flexibility in meeting the needs of students, a system of accountability
to ensure student achievement and growth, and a more coherent policy
system to support and sustain school-based change.
- TECHNOLOGY FOR EDUCATION ACT
- A
law enacted in 1994 to establish a planning and funding strategy that
will support the development and maintenance of an effective technology
infrastructure for all learners in New Mexico.
- TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CHALLENGE FUND
(TLCF)
- A federal initiative that began in February 1996, under
Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Funding
is provided to advance the president's four goals for technology
in education through state-administered grants to public school districts.
- TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES
(TANF)
- A federal block grant program that provides for qualified
state expenditures to include cash assistance, childcare assistance
and educational activities designed to increase self-sufficiency,
enhance job training and prepare recipients for work pursuant to
the New Mexico Works Act. TANF-eligible participants must be at or
below 100 percent of the federal poverty level and have a dependent
child 18 years of age or younger.
- VARIABLE SCHOOL CALENDAR ACT (VSCA)
- A
law governing school or school district operations extending beyond
the traditional nine-month period in any one calendar year that permits
pupil attendance on a staggered schedule and provides authority and
procedures for approving multi-track year-round education programs.
SELECTED PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE DEFINITIONS
- BASIC PROGRAM UNITS
- Number of
basic program units determined by multiplying basic program membership
in each grade by the corresponding cost differential factor as follows:
Membership Cost Differential
Kindergarten FTE: 1.440
Grade 1: 1.200
Grades 2-3: 1.180
Grades 4-6: 1.045
Grades 7-12: 1.250
- BILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM UNITS
- Number
of full-time equivalent students in approved bilingual programs times
the current cost differential factor of 0.425.
- COST DIFFERENTIAL
- Numerical expression
of the relative costs of educational programs.
- DECEMBER 1
- The student membership
count date used to determine the number of program units for special
education programs.
- EMERGENCY CAPITAL OUTLAY
- Emergency
distributions to school districts that have experienced an unexpected
capital outlay emergency demanding immediate attention.
- ENROLLMENT GROWTH UNITS
- A factor
in the public school funding formula used to compensate a school district
experiencing an increase in membership equal to or greater than one
percent when compared with the preceding year. A district meeting that
description is eligible for additional program units equal to 0.5 times
the membership increase.
- FEDERAL REVENUE
- School district
receipts from forest reserve funds and Impact Aid funds except for
those Impact Aid funds for special education and for students living
on Indian lands.
- FORTIETH DAY
- The student membership
count day used to determine the number of program units for all programs
except special education.
- LOCAL REVENUE
- Receipts to school
districts from the school district property tax (.5 mill).
- MEMBERSHIP (MEM)
- Sum of qualified
students: (1) in grades 1-12; (2) students in C and D class special
education; (3) three- and four-year-old developmentally disabled children;
and (4) 0.5 times the actual number of children in early childhood
education (kindergarten) programs.
- OUT-OF-STATE TUITION
- Payments
for students who are attending school out of state because school facilities
are not reasonably available in their local school districts.
- PROGRAM COST
- Product of the total
number of program units multiplied by the dollar value per program.
- PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA
- A
formula that specifies the procedures for determining each district's
total program units, program cost dollars and the amount of money to
be distributed to the district. The formula uses cost differentials
to reflect higher costs incurred in providing certain educational programs
and includes factors for early childhood education, basic grades 1-12
programs, special education and bilingual education programs, students
at risk, size adjustments, enrollment growth and a factor for training
and experience.
- QUALIFIED STUDENT
- A public school
student who meets the following statutory criteria: (1) has not graduated
from high school; (2) is regularly enrolled in one half or more of
the minimum course requirements approved by SBE; (3) is at least 5
years of age prior to 12:01 a.m. on September 1 of the school year;
(4) is at least 3 years of age at any time during the school year and
receiving special education services pursuant to SBE regulations; or
(5) has not reached his/her 22nd birthday on the first day
of the school year and is receiving special education services pursuant
to SBE regulations.
- REVENUE CREDITS
- ninety-five percent
of local (.5 mill levy) and federal revenues (forest reserve and impact
aid).
- SIZE ADJUSTMENT UNITS
- Additional
program units based on size according to the following categories:
• Elementary/junior high schools with
membership's of less than 400
• Senior high schools with membership's
of less than 400
• Districts with a total membership
of less than 4,000
• Districts with over 10,000 member
with a ratio of membership to senior high
schools less than 4,000:1
- SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM UNITS
- Sum
of special education program units determined by multiplying the number
of approved programs or students by the corresponding cost differential
factor as follows:
Program/Membership
- Cost
Differential
Ancillary FTE Personnel including diagnosticians:
25.000
Approved A/B class programs: .700
Students in class C programs: 1.000
Students in class D programs: 2.000
3- and 4-year-old developmentally disabled
students: 2.000
- STATE EQUALIZATION GUARANTEE
- State
distribution of funds to districts, which equals the program cost minus
revenue credits.
- STATE SUPPORT RESERVE FUND
- Nonreverting
funds used to ensure that the state equalization guarantee distribution
is not reduced because of an unexpected decrease in credits or an unanticipated
increase in program units.
- SUPPLEMENTARY EMERGENCY
- Emergency
distributions to districts in financial need. However, no distributions
shall be made to any district having cash and invested reserves, or
other resources or any combinations thereof, equaling five percent
or more of the school district's operational budget.
- TOTAL PROGRAM UNITS
- Sum of early
childhood, basic, special education and bilingual education units times
the training and experience index plus size adjustment, at risk, enrollment
growth and save harmless units.
- TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE INDEX
- A
factor, in the range from 1.00 to 1.50, that is multiplied by the total
number of program units to compensate districts for higher levels of
instructional staff experience and training.
- UNIT VALUE
- Amount of money provided
for each program unit (program cost divided by total statewide units)
as determined by the state superintendent of public instruction or
the legislature.
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