MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Representatives McCoy, Scott (17th), Barnett (92nd), Frierson, Livingston, McInnis, Peranich, Read, Vince

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR THE SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE COMMON SCHOOLS OF MISSISSIPPI, FOR THE MINIMUM EDUCATION PROGRAM AND FOR THE EDUCATION OF HOSPITALIZED AND EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2000.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary, are hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Department of Education for the support and maintenance of the common schools of Mississippi and for the Minimum Education Program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000, as follows:

For the support and maintenance

of the common schools

(Common School Fund) $ 5,000,000.00

An additional sum, to be known as

the Minimum Education Program Fund,

to be disbursed by the State Department

of Education in compliance with the laws

enacted at the Extraordinary Session

of 1953, as amended $1,139,527,977.00

Total $1,144,527,977.00

SECTION 2. In addition to all other sums heretofore appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby reappropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Department of Education for the support and maintenance of the common schools of Mississippi and for the Minimum Education Program, for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of State General Funds, as provided in Section 37-19-39, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000

$ 700,000.00.

Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under the provisions of this section, in no event shall the amount expended exceed the unexpended balance as of June 30, 1999.

SECTION 3. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of the Education Enhancement Fund pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, to the State Department of Education for the purpose of providing Fifteen Million Four Hundred Thirty-nine Thousand Six Hundred Ninety-four Dollars ($15,439,694.00) for transportation, Five Million Seven Hundred Thirty-four Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty-one Dollars ($5,734,831.00) for teacher assistants, Twenty-eight Million Four Hundred Ninety-one Thousand One Hundred Sixty-five Dollars ($28,491,165.00) for public school employee health insurance for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000 $ 49,665,690.00.

SECTION 4. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of the Education Enhancement Fund and deposited pursuant to Section 27-103-203 (1), Mississippi Code of 1972, to the State Department of Education for the purpose of providing Twenty Million Two Hundred Fifty-four Thousand One Hundred Forty-three Dollars ($20,254,143.00) for the public school employee health insurance Two Million Three Hundred Sixty-seven Thousand Nine Hundred Fifteen Dollars ($2,367,915.00) for additional supportive services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000

$ 22,622,058.00.

SECTION 5. Of the funds appropriated to the Minimum Education Program Fund under the provisions of Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, the estimated amount that shall be expended in each of the following elements of the Minimum Education Program shall be:

District Administration: Salaries............$ 2,893,978.00

Fringe Benefits..... 460,143.00

Local Administration: Salaries............ 1,798,815.00

Fringe Benefits..... 286,012.00

Teacher Compensation:

Regular Units: Salaries............ 582,933,890.00

Fringe Benefits..... 92,684,119.00

Special Education Units: Salaries............ 124,160,300.00

Fringe Benefits..... 19,741,488.00

Gifted Education Units: Salaries............ 22,249,980.00 Fringe Benefits..... 3,537,747.00

Vocational Units: Salaries............ 31,968,640.00

Fringe Benefits..... 5,083,014.00

Teacher Assistants: Salaries............ 45,575,000.00

Fringe Benefits..... 7,246,425.00

Supportive Services:

Regular: Salaries............ 119,037,555.00

Fringe Benefits..... 18,926,971.00

Additional.................................. 2,367,915.00

Insurance.................................. 90,829,239.00

Transportation: Operations........... 52,139,694.00 Alternative Schools............................ 17,000,000.00

Extended School Term for

Handicapped Students......................... 1,700,000.00

Bus Driver Training............................ 144,800.00

Orthopedic and Aphasic......................... 450,000.00

Total Cost................................$1,243,215,725.00

Less: Ad Valorem Tax................. 24,000,000.00

Severance Tax.................. 1,700,000.00

Appropriated Amount.......................$1,217,515,725.00

The above sum is intended to provide a level of support for eighteen thousand one hundred thirty (18,130) regular teacher units, four thousand one hundred (4,100) special education teacher units, seven hundred ten (710) gifted education teacher units, one thousand forty-five (1,045) vocational teacher units and five thousand (5,000) teacher assistant units.

Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by general law.

No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds which are being used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.

The State Department of Education, in reporting expenditures and disbursements to the Legislature, shall report the amounts expended and disbursed in categories corresponding to the elements outlined in this section.

SECTION 6. The State Department of Education is authorized to transfer district allotments for insurance separately from regular Minimum Program allotments to insure funds are received by school districts for timely payment of premiums.

SECTION 7. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below:

FY00

Performance Measures Target

Minimum Program

Regular Education

Teacher units funded (units) 18,130

Teacher assistants (persons) 5,000

Cost per student served (dollars) $1,808.00

Special Education

Teacher units funded (units) 4,100

Students served (persons) 68,600

Cost per student served (dollars) $2,450.00

Vocational Education

Teacher units funded (units) 1,045

Students served (persons) 54,000

Cost per student served (dollars) $800.00

Gifted Education

Teacher units funded (units) 710

Students served (persons) 29,000

Cost per student served (dollars) $1,034.00

Alternative Schools

Students served (persons) 4,933

Cost per student served (dollars) $3,446.00

Transportation

Students transported (persons) 402,000

Cost per student transported (dollars) $130.00

Insurance

Participants (persons) 47,747

Cost per participant (dollars) $2,004.00

Special Programs

Extended school year program

students (persons) 1,121

Orthopedic/aphasic program students (persons) 100

Cost per orthopedic/aphasic student

(dollars) $4,500

A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2001.

SECTION 8. Should revenues generated and deposited to the Education Enhancement Fund pursuant to Section 27-103-203(1), Mississippi Code of 1972, and apportioned pursuant to Section 37-61-33(6), Mississippi Code of 1972, fall below funds appropriated herein from said source, the State Department of Education shall notify the Department of Finance and Administration as to which allotments shall be reduced to insure expenditures do not exceed actual revenues.

SECTION 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Department of Education be allowed to receive, budget and expend funds from any source available not to exceed Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00), that may become available to the department in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration.

SECTION 10. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law.

SECTION 11. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.