Louisiana HB 324: SCHOOLS/DISTRICTS: Establishes a systemwide needs program for the Orleans Parish school system (OR SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

Bill Text

HLS 19RS-198 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 324
BY REPRESENTATIVE LEGER
SCHOOLS/DISTRICTS: Establishes a systemwide needs program for the Orleans Parish
school system
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3995(A)(1)(b)(iii) and to enact R.S. 17:100.12, relative to the
3 Orleans Parish school district; to establish a systemwide needs program for the
4 school district; to provide relative to program purpose, funding, and operation; and
5 to provide for related matters.
6 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published
7 as provided by Article III, Section 13 of the Constitution of
8 Louisiana.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 17:3995(A)(1)(b)(iii) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
11 17:100.12 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
12 §100.12. Systemwide needs program
13 A.(1) There is hereby established for the Orleans Parish school district a
14 systemwide needs program. The program shall be funded, structured, and operated
15 as provided in this Section and polices adopted by the school board.
16 (2) The purpose of the program is to direct initiatives that will result in
17 districtwide improvements in areas that cannot be addressed efficiently or effectively
18 at the school level. Such initiatives may include teacher recruitment, teacher
19 preparation, professional development shared among schools, and non-recurring
20 costs related to improving instructional materials and the use of such materials.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.

HLS 19RS-198 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 324
1 B. The school district shall create a special fund for the purpose of
2 dedicating money to the program. The district shall annually deposit into the fund
3 one hundred twenty dollars per student in the district less the district's expenditures
4 that year for costs identified in RS 17:1990(C)(2)(a)(iii)(aa)(I) through (IV).
5 Expenditures may be made from the fund by the district superintendent only to
6 implement a plan for improvement in one or more particular areas of focus as
7 provided in this Section.
8 C. The superintendent shall:
9 (1) Develop and propose plans for improvement in particular areas of focus.
10 The superintendent shall develop such plans in collaboration with school leaders in
11 the school district as more specifically provided by school board policy.
12 (2) Include related performance objectives and a proposed level of funding
13 in any plan for improvement in an area of focus.
14 (3) Submit such plans to the school board for approval. The superintendent
15 shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the school board, that an area of focus will
16 impact at least fifty percent of the public school students or fifty percent of the public
17 schools over the course of the funding cycle for the area of focus.
18 (4) Consider how the expenditures from the fund could be coordinated with
19 other funds in order to increase the effectiveness of the program.
20 (5) Annually report to the school board on the performance objectives and
21 the expenditure of funds for the program.
22 D. The school board may approve a plan and appropriate expenditures from
23 the fund therefor. An approved area of focus shall be funded for a period of not less
24 than three years based on cost estimates developed by the superintendent.
25 E.(1) The superintendent shall implement an approved plan by awarding
26 funds through a competitive process. Funds may be awarded to:
27 (a) A school for the purpose of procuring materials or services from district-
28 approved organizations or vendors.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
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HLS 19RS-198 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 324
1 (b) An organization or vendor that either provides services directly to
2 schools, educators, or students or coordinates support by providing subgrants to
3 schools or contracting with organizations to provide goods or services to schools,
4 educators, or students, or any combination thereof.
5 (2) An applicant for funds shall demonstrate how the proposed good or
6 service will contribute to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the approved
7 plan.
8 (3) An applicant for funds shall demonstrate that at least twenty-five percent
9 of the funds it will expend to achieve its proposal are from sources other than this
10 program.
11 (4) Funding applications shall be approved according to school board policy.
12 No expenditure shall be made from the fund except as provided in this Subsection.
13 No expenditure of funds shall be made in excess of the amount approved by the
14 school board for a particular area of focus.
15 * * *
16 §3995. Charter school funding
17 A.(1) For the purpose of funding, a Type 1, Type 3, Type 3B not acting as
18 its own local education agency, and Type 4 charter school shall be considered an
19 approved public school of the local sch