BILL #
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TOPIC
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WHERE IS IT?
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WHAT DOES IT DO?
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IEA POSITION
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HB 65 |
FY 13 Public School Funding |
Governor’s Desk |
Makes one-year-only changes to Idaho Code and allows districts to meet their FY13 contractual obligations. Under this legislation, districts would receive all expected funds, based on the FY13 original appropriation. The budgeted amounts that had been allocated for mobile computing devices have been re-allocated to additional professional development for public school educators. |
SUPPORT |
HB 163 |
Teacher Contracts |
LAW
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Allows districts to deliver individual contracts to teachers via email. In the event the teacher does not respond to the email within a specific time period, the district would be required to follow up via certified mail. |
SUPPORT |
HB 205 |
Education Steps |
Governor’s Desk |
Reinstates the two years of movement on the salary grid, assuring school districts receive the necessary $4 million to fully fund education movement on the salary grid for those teachers who have earned college credits over the past few years but who’ve been either unable to move on their local salary schedule or who’ve gone unpaid for that additional education, due to legislative decisions to freeze these payments to school districts. |
SUPPORT |
HB 206a |
Charter Schools |
Governor’s Desk |
Siphons money from the K-12 public school funding for charter schools to offset the costs of purchasing, leasing, or repairing their current facilities. The bill even assures that virtual charter schools will be reimbursed for 50% of their actual building costs. |
OPPOSE |
HB 221a |
Charter Schools |
Governor’s Desk |
Would allow any Idaho college and university—both public and private non-sectarian—to become chartering entities. Amended to remove 501C (3) organizations as charter authorizers. |
OPPOSE |
HB 225 |
Education Support Units |
Governor’s Desk |
Reestablishes the self-funded 97% ADA funding protection for school districts. |
SUPPORT |
HB 259a |
Involuntary Leave |
Governor’s Desk |
Requires that if a district puts an employee on involuntary paid administrative leave, the district will have 60 days to investigate the matter. It also allows the district to stop paying the salary and benefits of any employee if a court order prevents the employee from carrying out his or her contractual duties. Amended to require an escrow account for employees on unpaid leave. |
OPPOSE |
HB 260 |
Negotiations |
Senate Ed Committee |
Requires all negotiations to be completed by June 10 of each year. If bargaining has not concluded, the district shall impose its last, best offer. It also allows either party to call for mediation, as long as the mediation is completed before June 10th. SUNSETS July 1, 2014 |
OPPOSE |
HB 261 |
RIF |
Governor’s Desk |
Requires RIF decisions be made by the local school board and encourages the board to adopt a policy establishing how to recall individuals who were subject of a RIF. SUNSETS July 1, 2014 |
SUPPORT |
HB 275 |
Use it or Lose it |
Governor’s Desk |
Allows districts use it or lose it flexibility of 9.5% in staffing teaching positions without a reduction in funding. |
NO POSITION |
HB 286 |
Tuition Tax Credit |
FAILEDin Senate Local Gov’t/Tax Committee |
Provides a credit on state income taxes to individuals and corporations that make donates to scholarship granting organizations (SGO’s) that provide scholarships to qualified K-12 students attending approved schools. |
OPPOSE |
HB 317 |
Teacher Evaluations |
Senate 3rd Reading Calendar |
Clarifies that all certificated employees must receive at least one written performance evaluation each year. In the case of instructional staff the evaluation must include at least two documented observations. |
SUPPORT |
HB 323 |
Public Schools Budget |
FAILEDin Senate |
This is the fiscal year 2014 appropriation for the Public Schools Educational Support program in the amount of $1,598,156,500. This appropriation includes a 2.2% increase in General Funds and a 2.0% increase in overall funds. This appropriation also provides growth at 33 additional supportunits above the Base; unfreezes the two remaining years on salary grid; increases the minimum teacher salary from $30,500 to $31,000; increases discretionary funds by 1.5% up to $20,000 per support unit; provides $21,000,000 in achievement awards and professional development; provides $13,400,000 for classroom technology, professional development; and technology pilot projects; returns $6,517,500 to facilities maintenance; and provides for other statutory and non-statutory distributions. |
SUPPORT |
HB 325 |
Teacher Salary flexibility |
FAILEDin Senate Ed Committee |
Requires that the 1.67% in salary-based apportionment funds rather than being returned to the salary grid must first be used to replace teachers and replace furlough days using 2011 as a baseline. |
OPPOSE |
SB 1027 |
Scholarships |
LAW |
Reorganized various state scholarship programs. It eliminated the student education incentive loan forgiveness program. |
NO POSITION |
SB 1040a |
Teacher Contracts |
Governor’s Desk |
This bill was amended to reintroduce SB 1148, giving the local school board sole authority to reduce or increase contract days and/or reduce or increase the salary of employees for any reason or no reason whatsoever and further deny an individual due process hearing for affected employees. It also allows, in very limited circumstances and for a limited period of time, districts to lower contract days with or without concurrence through the negotiations process. SUNSETS July 1, 2014 |
OPPOSE |
SB 1055 |
Website Reporting |
LAW |
Reinstates the requirement that school district budgets and master contracts be posted on the school districts web site |
SUPPORT |
SB 1089 |
ERIP |
LAW |
Repeals the Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP) for teachers, a program which has been in place since 1996 and, based on calculations by the IEA, has saved the state nearly $100 million over the past 14 years. |
OPPOSE |
SB 1091a |
Idaho Digital Learning Academy |
LAW |
Creates a stable, long term funding formula for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, establishes a portal for online classes, reestablishes the dual credit for the early completers program and makes minor changes to the “8 in 6” program. |
NO POSITION |
SB 1092 |
Math and Science Teachers |
LAW |
Allows for permanent and ongoing funding for math and science teachers. |
OPPOSE |
SB 1098 |
Open Negotiations |
LAW |
Would require all negotiations between the school district and the local association be held in public. The IEA initially developed this legislation as an alternative to a bill introduced by the Idaho School Boards and Idaho School Administrator’s Associations. Since initial introduction of the legislation, all three organizations have come to agreement to support the IEA’s bill. |
SUPPORT |
SB 1108 |
Initiative/Referendum |
Governor’s Desk |
Increases the requirements for qualifying referendum/initiative ballot questions by requiring collection of no less than 6% of registered voters in each of at least 18 Idaho legislative districts, and 6% of all registered Idaho voters. |
OPPOSE |
SB 1133a |
School Security Plans |
House 3rd Reading Calendar |
Requires county sheriffs and school boards to create, impose, train and measure the effectiveness of individual school security and safety plans. Amended in House to delete all language and replace with language from two House bills re: gun rights. |
OPPOSE |
SB 1146 |
Financial Emergency |
Governor’s Desk |
Would allow qualifying local school districts to reopen the master contract, if their funding is reduced in future years due to state cuts or failed supplemental levies. |
SUPPORT |
SB 1147a |
Master Agreements |
Governor’s Desk |
Limits all contracts to one year with regard to salaries and benefits; all other portions of the agreement could be extended for no more than two years. Also eliminates Fact Finding. SUNSETS July 1, 2014 |
OPPOSE |
SB 1148a |
Teacher Contracts |
FAILEDin Senate |
Gives the local school board sole authority to reduce or increase contract days and/or reduce or increase the salary of employees for any reason or no reason whatsoever and further deny an individual due process hearing for affected employees. SUNSETS July 1, 2014 |
OPPOSE |
SB 1149 |
Negotiations |
Governor’s Desk |
Requires the local association to prove that they represent 50% + 1 of the professional employees in the district in negotiations, should the district request such information. Also, requires both parties to prove they have ratified the master agreement each year. |
OPPOSE |
SB 1150 |
Board Hearings/Court Review |
Governor’s Desk |
Limits courts from considering new evidence, should a board hearing be challenged in District Court. |
OPPOSE |