House Bill NO. 1620

By Senator(s) Committee

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, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001, 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 $1,146,793,310.00

Total $1,151,793,310.00

SECTION 2. 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 Sixteen Million Three Hundred One Thousand Twelve Dollars ($16,301,012.00) for transportation, Five Million Seven Hundred Thirty-four Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty-one Dollars ($5,734,831.00) for teacher assistants, Forty-one Million Six Hundred Sixty Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-nine Dollars ($41,660,659.00) for public school employee health insurance for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001

$ 63,696,502.00.

SECTION 3. 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 Six Hundred Seventy-eight Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty-five Dollars ($20,678,935.00) 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, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001

$ 23,046,850.00.

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

District Administration: Salaries............$ 2,901,103.00

Fringe Benefits..... 461,275.00

Local Administration: Salaries............ 1,803,565.00

Fringe Benefits..... 286,767.00

Teacher Compensation:

Regular Units: Salaries............ 583,320,882.00

Fringe Benefits..... 92,748,020.00

Special Education Units: Salaries............ 129,501,750.00

Fringe Benefits..... 20,590,778.00

Gifted Education Units: Salaries............ 22,472,144.00 Fringe Benefits..... 3,573,071.00

Vocational Units: Salaries............ 33,450,251.00

Fringe Benefits..... 5,318,590.00

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

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

Supportive Services:

Regular: Salaries............ 119,509,040.00

Fringe Benefits..... 19,001,937.00

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

Insurance.................................. 100,046,351.00

Transportation: Operations........... 53,001,012.00 Alternative Schools............................ 17,706,876.00

Extended School Term for

Handicapped Students......................... 2,149,110.00

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

Orthopedic and Aphasic......................... 460,000.00

Total Cost................................$1,263,636,662.00

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

Severance Tax.................. 1,100,000.00

Appropriated Amount.......................$1,238,536,662.00

The above sum is intended to provide a level of support for eighteen thousand thirty-one (18,031) regular teacher units, four thousand two hundred fifty (4,250) special education teacher units, seven hundred twelve (712) gifted education teacher units, one thousand eighty-seven (1,087) 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 5. 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 6. 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:

FY2001

Performance Measures Target

Regular Education

Teacher Units Funded (Units) 18,031

Teacher Assistants (Persons) 5,000

Cost per Student Served (Dollars) 1,787

Special Education

Teacher Units Funded (Units) 4,250

Students Served (Persons) 68,898

Cost per Student Served (Dollars) 2,667

Vocational Education

Teacher Units Funded (Units) 1,087

Students Served (Persons) 162,000

Cost per Student Served (Dollars) 292

Gifted Education

Teacher Units Funded (Units) 712

Students Served (Persons) 30,975

Cost per Student Served (Dollars) 1,024

Alternative Education

Students Served (Persons) 4,950

Cost Per Student Served (Dollars) 3,577

Transportation

Students Transported (Persons) 408,000

Cost Per Student Served (Dollars) 130

Insurance

Participants (Persons) 49,848

Cost Per Participant (Dollars) 2,004

Special Programs

Extended School Year Program Students (Persons) 1,200

Orthopedic/Aphasic Students (Persons) 100

Cost Per Orthopedic/Aphasic Student (Dollars) 4,600

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 2002.

SECTION 7. 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 8. 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 9. 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 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.