SB 172 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL FUNDING TRANSPARENCY.

Summary

This bill will increase the public transparency of education funding information by directing the Department of Education to: 1. Establish, in collaboration with stakeholders, a statewide approach for districts and charter schools for reporting expenditures at the school level and the school’s share of central office expenditures so that per-pupil expenditure data is consistent and comparable across the State. 2. Report per-pupil expenditure data with key information that provide context on differences in funding such as school type, student demographics, and student outcomes. 3. Provide optional trainings to increase understanding of the data. As a result, this bill is intended to enable all taxpayers, parents, and schools to understand their school spending and resources in order to make data-driven decisions for students.

Bill Text

• Bill Text View text Current pdf

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The bill amends Title 14 of the Delaware Code to establish requirements for school-level funding transparency and reporting of per-pupil expenditures.

• § 1511

  By December 2018, the Department of Education will create a standardized statewide approach to collecting and reporting school-level per-pupil expenditures that all districts and charter schools must follow. → By December 2024, the Department of Education shall create a standardized statewide approach to collecting and reporting school-level per-pupil expenditures that all districts and charter schools must follow.

  This change extends the deadline for the Department of Education to create the standardized reporting approach by six years.

• § 1511(a)(1)

  Comply with ESSA requirements by reporting federal funding separate from State and local funding. → Comply with ESSA requirements by reporting federal funding separately from State and local funding and ensuring the reporting aligns with federal regulations regarding transparency and accountability.

  This change updates the requirement for compliance with ESSA to emphasize the need for alignment with federal regulations.

• § 1511(a)(2)

  Create business rules that will identify which district and charter expenses are to be included and excluded in the per-pupil calculation. → Create clear and precise business rules that will identify which district and charter expenses are to be included and excluded in the per-pupil calculation and ensure that these rules are documented and accessible to all stakeholders.

  This change mandates clarity and documentation for the rules regarding what expenses are counted in the per-pupil calculations.

• § 1511(b)(2)(c)

  Average teacher salary at the school-level. → The average teacher salary at the school-level, as defined and calculated by the Department in coordination with stakeholders.

  This updates how the average teacher salary is defined to ensure consistency in reporting.

• § 1511(c)

  Hold at least 3 public meetings to review and receive input on the standardized statewide approach before finalizing the approach for district and charter school use. → Hold a minimum of four public meetings to review and receive comprehensive input on the standardized statewide approach prior to finalization for district and charter school implementation.

  This change increases the number of public meetings required for stakeholder input before finalizing the reporting approach.

• § 1511(c)(4)

  Report twice to the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees on how the requirements of §1511(c) of this section were met and how feedback was incorporated by the end of December 2018 and again before the release of the 2018-2019 data that will be reported no later than December 2019. → Report annually to the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees on compliance with the requirements of §1511(c) of this section and how feedback was integrated, with the first report due by the end of December 2024 and subsequent reports annually thereafter.

  This change modifies the reporting requirement timeline to an annual schedule, starting with the 2024 deadline.

• § 1511(d)

  offer at least 1 training session with the objective to increase understanding and use of the data in order to make data-driven decisions for students. → offer at least 2 training sessions each year with the objective of increasing understanding and use of the data to make informed, data-driven decisions for students.

  This change requires an increase in the number of training sessions offered to further support data understanding.

Action History

1. August 29, 2018

   Signed by Governor

2. July 01, 2018

   Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

3. July 01, 2018

   Suspension of Rules in Senate

4. June 28, 2018

   Passed By House. Votes: 41 YES

5. June 28, 2018

   Amendment HA 2 to SB 172 - Passed In House by Voice Vote

6. June 28, 2018

   Amendment HA 1 to SB 172 - Stricken in House

7. June 13, 2018

   Amendment HA 1 to SB 172 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

8. May 09, 2018

   Reported Out of Committee (Education) in House with 1 Favorable, 9 On Its Merits

9. May 08, 2018

   Assigned to Education Committee in House

10. May 03, 2018

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

11. May 03, 2018

    Amendment SA 1 to SB 172 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

12. April 26, 2018

    Reported Out of Committee (Education) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits

13. April 18, 2018

    Introduced and Assigned to Education Committee in Senate

Sponsors

• David P. Sokola · Primary
• Bryan Townsend · Primary
• Brian Pettyjohn · Primary
• Debra Heffernan · Primary
• Stephanie L. Hansen · Cosponsor
• Gerald W. Hocker · Cosponsor
• Dave G. Lawson · Cosponsor
• Nicole Poore · Cosponsor
• Bryant L. Richardson · Cosponsor
• John "Jack" Walsh · Cosponsor
• Edward S. Osienski · Cosponsor
• David L. Wilson · Cosponsor
• Ruth Briggs King · Cosponsor
• Paul S. Baumbach · Cosponsor
• F. Gary Simpson · Cosponsor
• Harris B. McDowell · Cosponsor
• David B. McBride · Cosponsor
• Robert Marshall · Cosponsor
• Ernesto B Lopez · Cosponsor
• Gregory F. Lavelle · Cosponsor
• Margaret Rose Henry · Cosponsor
• Bruce C. Ennis · Cosponsor
• Anthony Delcollo · Cosponsor
• Catherine Cloutier · Cosponsor
• Brian J. Bushweller · Cosponsor
• Colin Bonini · Cosponsor
• Earl G. Jaques Jr. · Primary

Votes

Subjects