Education Committee

JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT

SPONSORS OF BILL:

The Education Committee

REASONS FOR BILL:

Sec 1 Clarifies the State Education Resource Center as “a non-stock corporation and nonprofit tax exempt organization within the Department of Education”

Sec 2 allows members of the military that specialize in medicine to assist in mandatory student health assessments in schools

Sec 3 removes Sec (c) and a portion of (e) of Sec 10-66j of the general statutes, which deals with the expenditures and data collection of regional educational service centers

Sec 4 changes the diversity reporting period to biennially after October 1, 2011 and requires the reports be submitted to the Commissioner of Education

Sec 5 requires that any teacher holding an international teacher permit hold a valid J-1 Visa at the time of the teacher permit renewal

Sec 6 - 8 deletes from Sec 10-261(3)(a) the provisions for repayment of debt service, which commenced on June 30, 1987

Sec 9 changes Sec 10-264L(6)(c) changes the grant formula from 50% to 70% for inter-district magnet schools, with the balance due by May 1 instead of January 1 of each fiscal year. It also requires enrollment data as of the intervening March 1. The May 1 payment would be adjusted if there is an indication of overpayment

Sec 10 requires inter-district magnet schools to file a financial audit annually with the Commissioner of Education

RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:

George A. Coleman, Acting Commissioner of Education – clarification in currently ambiguous language, and other issues above were proposed by the Department, and the Acting Commissioner strongly supports the bill as it reduces expenditures.

NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:

None submitted other than above.

NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:

Vincent Loffredo, CEA – spoke in opposition to Section 11 of the bill, as the 1979 arbitration language was reviewed in 2006 and saw no need for change. Furthermore, he feels the time that has passed legitimizes the original language. Sec. 11 was deleted in the Substitute Language.