2009 Legislative Agenda
Approved December 16, 2008
Globally Competitive Students
- Provide personnel and funding to increase the on-time graduation rate of students through direct intervention programs.
- Restructure the allotment formula to assist LEP students in becoming globally competitive.
- Increase the cap for students with disabilities to provide more resources to serve state-identified children.
- Provide additional resources to LEAs for the Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Fund.
- Fund additional second language programs.
- Increase the cap for students identified as academically and intellectually gifted to provide dedicated resources to this program.
Healthy and Responsible Students
- Support funding of $20 million statewide to child nutrition programs to continue to provide nutritious meals to students based on child nutrition standards.
21st Century Professionals
- Maintain the current health care premiums and benefit provisions for all public school employees, but especially noncertified employees.
- Increase salaries for noncertified support personnel.
- Fund mentors for new principals.
- Fully fund mentors for all first- and second-year federal, state, and local teachers, including lateral entry.
- Extend the sunset on the law to allow retired teachers to return to work without penalty.
21st Century Systems
- Provide full state sales and use tax exemption/refund beginning in 2009-2010.
- Increase the Average Daily Membership reserve fund and change from average daily membership to actual daily membership for distribution of funds to school districts.
Innovation in Schools
- Provide increased authority and flexibility to local boards of education in school calendar legislation.
- Permit local boards of education to have taxing authority to fund their public schools.