SB-0423, As Passed House, December 19, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

 

SENATE BILL NO. 423

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1281a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1281a. (1) The legislature finds and declares all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) Section 2 of article VIII of the state constitution of

 

1963 requires that "The legislature shall maintain and support a

 

system of free public elementary and secondary schools as defined

 

by law.". That section further requires that "Every school district

 

shall provide for the education of its pupils without

 

discrimination as to religion, creed, race, color or national

 

origin.".

 

     (b) Since at least 1970, this state has required the statewide

 

assessment of educational progress in local public elementary and

 

secondary schools under 1970 PA 38, MCL 388.1081 to 388.1086.

 

     (c) In addition to long-standing state requirements, this

 

state is also subject to various federal requirements with respect

 

to elementary and secondary education, including the requirement

 

that Michigan students be proficient and make adequate yearly

 

progress as provided under title 20 of the United States Code.

 

     (d) Under the state constitution of 1963, long-standing state

 

law, and federal law, Michigan children have the right to a free,

 

quality, equitable public education.

 

     (2) The department of technology, management, and budget shall

 

enter into a contract for a comprehensive statewide cost study to

 

determine the sufficient resources per pupil to provide a public

 

education that enables a pupil to demonstrate successful

 

completion, in terms of proficiency, of all of the credit

 

requirements of the Michigan merit standard under sections 1278a

 

and 1278b. The department of technology, management, and budget

 

shall also ensure that the study meets all of the following:

 

     (a) Considers whether public resources being committed to

 

public education are distributed in such a way that all children

 

have an equal opportunity to succeed in school.

 

     (b) Is conducted by a vendor who is qualified to conduct the

 

study. The vendor must have proven experience in utilizing multiple

 

national-level research approaches, including at least all of the

 

following types of analysis: successful school district,

 

professional judgment, and evidence-based. The vendor must have a

 

proven ability to combine the data generated from these research

 

approaches to assess at least all of the following:

 

     (i) How strongly the identified data or costs are associated

 

with achieving this state's student performance goals including,

 

but not limited to, required proficiency in reading and

 

mathematics, and whether this association is sufficient to

 

establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

 

     (ii) The degree to which the data or costs took into

 

consideration efficiency and lowest possible cost of resource

 

delivery.

 

     (iii) The transparency and reliability of the data generated.

 

     (iv) How well the data could be applied to recognize existing

 

public school and pupil cost pressure differences.

 

     (c) Includes at least all of the following:

 

     (i) A determination of the educational resources and related

 

expenditures that are required to provide a quality elementary and

 

secondary education for each pupil in the public schools. The study

 

shall include examining exemplary school districts that are high-

 

performing and low-spending school districts. As part of the

 

determination under this subparagraph, a review shall be conducted

 

of school district efforts in support of public schools.

 

     (ii) An examination of the potential utility of geographic

 

cost-of-education indexing in this state.

 

     (iii) An investigation of additional categories of funding that

 

may be necessary to meet needs unique to schools and pupils,

 

including, but not limited to, the following:

 

     (A) Socioeconomic status.

 

     (B) Limited English proficiency.

 

     (C) Pupils with special education needs.

 

     (D) Scarcity and density of population.

 

     (E) Issues related to the rural, urban, or suburban nature of

 

the school district.

 

     (iv) An examination of the impact of food service costs,

 

transportation costs, costs associated with community services,

 

adult education costs, school building construction and maintenance

 

and other capital costs, and debt service costs.

 

     (v) A determination of the cost impact of pupil population

 

growth and decline.

 

     (3) Not later than 30 days after the completion of the study

 

required under this section, the department of technology,

 

management, and budget shall submit to the legislature, the

 

governor, and the legislative auditor general a report containing a

 

detailed summary of the findings from the study.

 

     (4) The department of technology, management, and budget shall

 

ensure that the study required under this section is completed

 

within 1 year after the effective date of this section. The

 

department of technology, management, and budget shall develop a

 

request for proposals and award the contract required under this

 

section in time for this deadline for completion of the study to be

 

met and shall include this deadline in the request for proposals

 

and in the contract.