DPI Tidbits/State House Budget Passes

From DPI:

Greetings from the Office of the State Board of Education. The House Budget is approved! Lawmakers voted early Friday morning to send
the $20 billion fund package to the Senate for their approval. After the
day-long House Appropriations meeting on Wednesday, HB 1473 (2007
Appropriations Act) garnered primary focus on the House floor and received a
67-50 final vote mainly along party lines. Highlights from the budget
include the following:
*  Salaries
   Teachers ­ adds a 31st step; step + $1240 for 5 percent average increase;
                     $250 sign-on bonus for 0 step teachers at school year
end.
   Administrators ­ adds a step + $1364 for 4.44 percent average increase.
   Central Office Staff and Non-certified Personnel ­ 4.25 percent increase.
*  ABCs Bonuses – $70 million
*  Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funding (DSSF) – $20 million
*  Small County Supplemental Funding – $1 million
*  Learn & Earn – $3 million
*  Learn & Earn Online – $6.4 million
*  School Safety Officers – $2 million
*  Dropout Prevention Grants – $7 million
*  Academically & Intellectually Gifted – $ 1.75 million
*  Children with Disabilities – $5 million
*  Child Nutrition Operating Funds – $7.5 million
*  Literacy Coaches – $3.2 million with a special provision to allow NBPTS
teachers to serve as coaches and remain on that salary schedule
*  Pass-Through Funds for Communities in Schools, Teacher Academy, Teach for
America, Teacher Cadet, PTA Parental Involvement, Science Competitions, Kids
Voting, and others

The final public school education-related portion of the House budget totals
$7.6 billion. You can access HB 1473 at www.ncleg.net for complete details.On Tuesday, the House Initiative on Dropout Reform hosted a second public
hearing at Southeast Raleigh High School with a full range of participants
including policymakers, parents, students, education advocates and
faith-based community leaders.

Several House and Senate Committees met this week in efforts to ready
legislation for next week’s crossover deadline on May 17. Only those bills
that pass in one chamber, House or Senate, by the deadline are eligible for
possible enactment during the 2007-08 legislative session.

Education- related Legislative Activity May 7-May 11
House
HB 1347 ­ An Act to Make It a Criminal Offense to Make a False Report
Concerning a Threat of Mass Violence on Educational Property. Passed the
House; referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary II.
HB 1440 ­ An Act to Direct the Joint Legislative Education Oversight
Committee to Conduct a Comprehensive Study of the Impact of High School
Block Schedules on Students. Passed the House; referred to Senate Committee
on Rules.
HB 1457 ­ An Act Directing the Joint Legislative Education Oversight
Committee to Study the Impact of Student Mobility on Academic Performance.
Passed the House; referred to Senate Committee on Rules.

Senate
SB 1030 ­ An Act Directing the State Board of Education to Develop a
Framework for Reaching One’s Potential for Excellence (ROPE) Scholars
Program. Passed the Senate.

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E.C. 🙂