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SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS
Joint Education Interim Committee
Room 302 January 22 and 23, 2002
State Capitol Building Cheyenne, Wyoming
PRESENT: Senator Irene Devin, Cochair;
Representative Bill Stafford, Cochair;
Senators Keith Goodenough, Robert Peck (1/23 only), Charles K. Scott, Kathryn Sessions;
Representatives Tom Lockhart, Mac McGraw, Del McOmie,
David Miller, Ann Robinson, Doug Samuelson, Jim "Bubba" Shivler, Marlene Simons.
Legislative Service Office: Dave Nelson, Mary Byrnes
Emily Birtell Gardyasz.
Others: Please see Appendix A.
AGENDA: Please see Appendix B.
* * * * *
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Call to Order
Senator Devin, Committee Cochair, called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
NOTE: Please reference the transcripts for all motions and verbatim discussion of school finance and other issues referenced herein. The transcripts are on file with the Legislative Service Office under Appendix C attached to this report.
Approval of the minutes
Cochair Stafford moved the adoption of the minutes of the January 7 and 8, 2002 committee meeting. Representative McOmie seconded the motion and the motion carried.
MAP School Finance Study Updates and Final Report
Dr. James Smith, representing MAP, introduced Professor Michael Wolkoff, who presented the following updated reports to the committee:
· School District Employee Compensation
· Regional Price Adjustment
In discussions with the committee, Prof. Wolkoff referred to his memorandum dated January 8, 2002 previously presented to the committee providing answers to various questions regarding compensation. (Appendix D) Staff provided a chart to the committee to show the average salaries and increases for Wyoming teachers. (Appendix E)
LSO staff gave the committee charts to show the funding and distribution of funding under the updated model. (Appendix F) The committee discussed the losses related to the regional cost of living adjustment. Dr. Smith responded that the amounts allotted to small schools are sufficient to provide the basket of goods.
Dr. Smith and the committee discussed the report on At-Risk Students. The committee also discussed the timeline for the vocational education study.
Dr. Smith assured the committee that the spreadsheets will be available to the committee before session starts. This is MAP's priority. Field notes for small schools will be available in the next couple of weeks.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
State Superintendent Judy Catchpole introduced Robert Reichardt, Ph.D. of Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) and Debra L. Holloway, Ph.D. of the Wyoming Department of Education. Dr. Holloway presented a report to the committee entitled "Blueprint: Ensuring Quality Teaching and Leadership in Wyoming." (Appendix G) Dr. Reichardt presented a report entitled "Wyoming Education Professional Attrition & Salaries." (Appendix H) Dr. Reichardt also provided reports on teacher and leader supply and demand. (Appendix I and J)
The committee adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Public Hearing
Cochair Stafford called the hearing to order at 2:00 p.m. Thirty-one (31) people testified at the hearing regarding various provisions and aspects of the proposed legislation, 02LSO-315.W2. The following people spoke before the committee (Appendix K, includes handouts): Charles Ware, Gary Imig, Judy Heichel, Mark Higdon, Elaine Scott, Dr. Curry, Dr. Lokhom, Rick Luchsinger, Kevin Mitchell, Frank Johnson, Anna Beth Alexander, Clarissa Morris, Karyn Hoopes, Kyle Walker, Jeff Carrier, Dwight Moose, Terry Ebert, Charlie Head, Mike Bowman, Jeff Stone, Bill Raduenz, Pete Laybourn, Lonny Hoffman, Judy Morrison, Kurt Bucholz, Marguerite Herman, Kim Burkhart, Terrill Mills, Jennifer Bayne, Christy Lehman and Courtnie Link.
The hearing adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m.
Dr. Holloway continued with the presentation of her report: Blueprint: Ensuring Quality Teaching and Leadership in Wyoming. (Appendix G)
Work session: Implementing Legislation
Senator Devin moved "do pass" 02LSO-0315.W2. (Appendix L) Representative McOmie seconded the motion. The committee proceeded to work through the bill. LSO staff explained the various sections of the bill, particularly any additional changes and amendments that were necessary to reflect the intent of MAP. (Appendix M)
The committee discussed the proposed school finance audits, including the types of auditors that will be needed. A letter from the department of audit was provided to the committee. (Appendix N)
The committee discussed the proposed at-risk student adjustment. Dr. Smith explained that several technical changes in the draft language were needed to ensure that the at-risk students were not being defined by the free/reduced lunch and limited English speaking (LES) eligibility requirements. The proposed technical amendments (Appendix M) were moved and adopted as follows:
Rep. Samuelson moved the amendment on page 5-line 20. Rep. McOmie seconded the motion. Passed.
Rep. McOmie moved the amendment on page 6-line 21. Senator Sessions seconded. Passed.
Senator Devin moved the amendment on page 6-line 23. Rep. Robinson seconded. Passed.
Senator Devin moved the amendment on page 7-line 10. Senator Sessions seconded. Passed.
Rep. Lockhart moved the amendment on page 7-line 11. Senator Devin seconded. Passed.
Rep. Lockhart moved the amendment on page 7-line 15. Senator Devin seconded. Passed.
Senator Devin moved the amendment on page 7-line 16. Rep. Lockhart seconded. Passed.
Rep. McOmie moved the amendment on page 7-line 18. Rep. Lockhart seconded. Passed.
Rep. Robinson moved the amendment on page 7-line 19. Senator Scott seconded. Passed.
Senator Devin moved an additional amendment on page 7-line 16 to ensure the adjustment is computed on a school basis, not district wide. Rep. Lockhart seconded the motion. Passed.
The committee discussed the utility cost reimbursement provision.
Senator Scott proposed an amendment on page 10-line 8, "Scott Amendment #3". (Appendix O) Senator Goodenough seconded the motion. The committee discussed the need for a sanction. Motion failed.
Rep. Robinson proposed the following amendment:
Page 12-line 6 Delete "such" insert "the".
Page 12-line 18Strike "interests" insert "interest".
Page 12-line 23Delete both "out of state" insert "out-of-state".
Senator Goodenough seconded. Passed.
At 21-13-309 the committee discussed the seniority adjustment and how extracting seniority from the model impacted the prototypical dollars per ADM. Staff provided a chart with the numbers. (Appendix P)
Senator Scott moved a proposed amendment on page 19-line 10 to amend W.S. 21-13-310(a) by creating a new paragraph "(xvi)" to read as follows: "The amount recovered to compensate for previous errors made more than one (1) fiscal year earlier in computing foundation program amounts." Senator Goodenough seconded the motion. Passed. Later in the meeting, Senator Goodenough moved to reconsider Senator Scott's amendment. Senator Scott seconded. After discussion, Senator Goodenough moved to delete the amendment that had been passed earlier. Rep. Robinson seconded. Passed. Amendment deleted.
Senator Scott offered two (2) alternative proposed amendments for page 17-lines 15 through 24 and page 18-lines 1 through 5, "Regional Cost-1" and "Regional Cost-2". (Appendices Q and R, with corrections) Senator Scott moved the proposed amendment "Regional Cost-1." (Appendix Q) Senator Goodenough seconded. Failed.
Senator Devin moved a proposed hold-harmless amendment with a three (3) year phase in for small schools, "Phase-In/Study". (Appendix S) Rep. McOmie seconded. Failed.
Senator Devin moved an amendment on page 20-line 13 to clarify the small elementary school threshold applies to 263 or less ADM for schools with kindergartens, and to 287 or less for schools without kindergartens. Passed.
The committee noted that a separate house bill exists for special education, but opted to leave the special education provision, 21-13-321, in the bill.
The remaining proposed technical amendments (Appendix M) were moved and adopted as follows:
Rep. Robinson moved the amendments on page 24-line 24 and page 25-line 2. Rep. McOmie seconded the motion. Passed.
Rep. McOmie moved the amendment on page 26-lines 18 through 21. Rep. Lockhart seconded. Passed.
Rep. Simons moved the amendment on page 27-lines 15 and 16. Senator Devin seconded. Passed.
Rep. Simons moved an amendment on page 36-line 10 to delete "2002" insert "2003". Rep. McOmie seconded. The committee discussed whether to extend the time for the vocational education study. Scott Marion, department of education, discussed additional legislative work that will have to be done to comply with new federal legislation. Motion failed.
Rep. Simons moved a proposed amendment to hold small schools harmless for one (1) year, and allow costs to be presented which may initiate further study of the small school adjustment, "Phase-In 2". (Appendix T) McOmie seconded. Passed.
Senator Scott moved an amendment to provide for a dropout reduction challenge program, "Scott Amendment #2". (Appendix U) Senator Goodenough seconded. Failed.
LSO staff provided the committee a list of appropriations as provided in the bill, with totals, to come from the general fund and school foundation program accounts. (Appendix V)
Rep. Simons moved "do pass" 02LSO-0315.W2, as amended. The bill passed ten (10) to four (4) on a roll call vote. (Appendix W) The bill will be introduced as a Senate file.
Adjournment
Cochair Stafford adjourned the meeting at 2:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________ _____________________________
Senator Irene Devin, Representative Bill Stafford,
Committee CoChair Committee CoChair