2008 Legislative Agenda
Approved March 4, 2008
Globally Competitive Students
Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Fund
Provide an additional $50 million to LEAs based on the state-approved formula to serve all identified disadvantaged children across the state to enable them to be prepared for life in the 21st Century.
Graduation Rate-Dropout Prevention
Provide direct appropriations to local education agencies to increase the on-time graduation rate of students and to lower the number of dropouts through direct intervention programs.
Limited English Proficiency Funding
Restructure allotment formula and increase funding to assist LEP students in becoming globally competitive.
Services for Students with Disabilities
Increase the cap and per pupil funding for students with disabilities to provide more resources to serve state-identified children.
Services for Academically and Intellectually Gifted Students
Increase the cap and per pupil funding for students identified as academically and intellectually gifted to provide more resources.
Instructional Technology
Provide instructional technology facilitator-teachers: 1 teacher for every 2,500 students.
Healthy and Responsible Students
School Nurses
- Add school nurses to provide 1 nurse for every 750 students.
- Fund code-required facilities so that nurses can perform their health care responsibilities that may impact and improve student academic performance.
21st Century Professionals
Retain and Recruit Teachers
- Fund extended employment (11 months).
- Expand professional development opportunities.
- Increase beginning teacher salaries.
- Provide additional incentives to teachers at the top of the salary schedule, Step (31).
- Restore state mentor funding for all first- and second-year teachers including lateral entry.
Retain and Recruit Support Personnel
- Increase salaries for non-certified support personnel.
- Provide increased professional development opportunities.
- Provide funding or flexibility in funding to provide signing bonuses for high shortage positions as needed.
Retain and Recruit School Administrators
- Fund mentors for new principals.
- Expand professional development opportunities.
- Provide salary increases.
Retired Teachers and School System Employees
Reduce the break-in-service after retirement to allow teachers and other school system employees subject to the earnings cap to return to work without penalty.
21st Century Systems
Technology Resources
Fund updated hardware/software to meet administrative and instructional requirements.
Testing Coordinator
Fund testing coordinators and additional administrative resources to support the testing program in schools: 1 teacher for every 1,000 students.
Sales Tax
Provide full state sales and use tax exemption/refund beginning in 2008-2009.
State Funding of Public Schools
- Appropriate all the fines and forfeiture monies ordered by the courts to public schools without supplanting.
- Revise the education lottery formula, without supplanting, to increase funding to Wake County Public Schools.
- Provide funding for utilities in schools.
- Provide funding for criminal records checks.
School Facilities
- Increase funding to enable school systems to keep pace with growing student enrollment and other changes to the delivery of instructional programs.
- Establish a maintenance, repair, renewal, and replacement group within Plant Operation/DPI to develop guidelines to ensure statewide consistency in maintaining and renewing schools.
Average Daily Membership Funding
Increase the fund and change from average daily membership to actual daily membership for distribution of funds.
Unfunded Mandates
- Occupational Diploma Program
- Drivers License Certification
- Graduation Project
- Distance Learning
- Chart of Accounts
- New Initiatives
Innovation in Schools
School Calendar
Provide increased authority and flexibility to local boards of education in the school calendar legislation.
Taxing Authority
Allow local boards of education to have taxing authority to fund their public schools.