LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES January 30, 2020 PREPARING FOR THE 87 TH - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

January 30, 2020

PREPARING FOR THE 87TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• January 12, 2021

Regular Session Convenes

• May 31, 2021

Last Day of Regular Session (sine die)

NISD LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Proposed 2021 Legislative Priorities

• Considering Approval

January 30, 2020

• 5 Priority Categories
• 17 Total Priorities
• 16 – Advocating “For”
• 1 – Opposing

2019 Legislative Priorities

• Approved November 12,

2018

• 4 Priority Categories
• 20 Total Priorities
• 17 – Support
• 3 – Oppose

PROPOSED 2021 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Fast Growth School Finance

Accountability & Assessment

North Texas & NISD Growing Transportation Needs School Safety & Security

FAST GROWTH

Provide considerations, accommodations, and relief for fast-growth school districts.

FAST GROWTH

Create an adequate and equitable system with local discretion that accommodates fast growth and ensures the community’s needs are met.

• Support evaluation and reconsiderations of the school

funding system and impact of HB 3; support continued efforts to reduce the reliance on recapture and property value increases; support going back to prior-year values for revenue calculation; support reconsiderations to provide school districts adequate time to prepare an effective budget.

• Support fast-growth schools districts’ need for flexibility and

ability to exceed the $0.50 debt cap due to rapid enrollment growth and construction needs; support consideration of a weighted scale or different funding formula to provide fast- growth accommodations.

• Support reconsideration and increased flexibility of the Teacher

Incentive Allotment (HB 3); oppose linking teachers’ salary to student assessment performance.

• Support the ability for locally elected school boards to

effectively manage the total tax rate and make decisions on how best to utilize funding.

• Oppose unfunded mandates.
• Support consideration of mandates and requirements on

personnel and effective caseload management.

• Support consideration of growth-based needs for

personnel and programs.

• Support funding for the Texas Retirement System (TRS) and

TRS-Care (healthcare); support sustaining a defined benefit retirement plan; support necessary state funding for TRS Active Care to ensure retirees’ access until they are covered by Medicare.

Establish a system that looks beyond the STAAR exam and measures what the community prioritizes, and

• ppose A-F ratings.
• Support the establishment of a comprehensive

accountability system that looks beyond a single assessment, considers multiple measures, and measures what the community deems as a priority; oppose A-F.

• Support allowing academically successful school districts to

continue practices that data shows to be successful.

NORTH TEXAS & NISD GROWING TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

Support efforts and funding to address the expansion and improvement of transportation infrastructure in response to the rapid growth of the North Texas area.

• Support expediting construction of state and county road

infrastructure to address the burden of a fast-growth area and public schools.

• Support increasing and enforcing regulations for

developments in extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJs) areas that are not heavily regulated.

NORTH TEXAS & NISD GROWING TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

• Support requirements on developers to accommodate

regional infrastructure needs.

• Support efforts and funding to expand road infrastructure

needs – especially east/west thoroughfares.

NORTH TEXAS & NISD GROWING TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

Support funding student and school safety initiatives and flexibility in how funds are used to meet the needs

• f the NISD community.
• Support ongoing funding for school safety initiatives and flexibility

in how districts utilize funds to meet local needs.

• Support funding to provide social and emotional health services

for students.

• Support increased regulation of e-cigarettes and educational

awareness campaigns to stop and prevent use and abuse by Texas youth.

NEXT STEPS

• 2021 Legislative Priorities will

guide interim discussions

• Develop handout
• Can revise and ratify if needed

as January 2021 nears

QUESTIONS / COMMENTS