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From the ECS State Policy Database 2003 State Policies / Activities

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Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • fax 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org

The following summary includes policies enacted in 2003. This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. To view the documents, click on the blue triangle next to the topic of interest. To view all, press the button located at the top labeled "Expand All." Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary Accountability Accountability--Accreditation Accountability--Measures/Indicators Accountability--Reporting Results Accountability--Rewards Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--No Pass No Drive Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--Takeovers Accountability--School Improvement Adult Basic Education Assessment Assessment--Accommodations Assessment--End-of-Course Assessment--Formative/Interim Assessment--High Stakes/Competency Assessment--NAEP (NAEP Results and NAEP Organization) At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention) At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Alternative Education At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Drugs/Alcohol Attendance Attendance--Compulsory Attendance--Statutory Ages (Upper and Lower) Attendance--Truancy Background Checks Bilingual/ESL Business Involvement Career/Technical Education Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship Choice of Schools--Charter Schools Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Closings Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Cyber Charters Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Research Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment Choice of Schools--Magnet or Specialized Schools Choice of Schools--Vouchers Civic Education Civic Education--Character Education Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance Class Size Counseling/Guidance Curriculum Curriculum--Alignment Curriculum--Arts Education Curriculum--Drivers Education Curriculum--Environmental Education Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed. Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education Curriculum--International Education Curriculum--Language Arts--Writing/Spelling Curriculum--Mathematics Curriculum--Multicultural Curriculum--Physical Education Curriculum--Science Curriculum--Sex Education Curriculum--Social Studies/History Demographics Demographics--Enrollments Desegregation Economic/Workforce Development Equity Federal Finance Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost Finance--Bonds Finance--District Finance--Equity Finance--Facilities Finance--Federal Finance--Funding Formulas Finance--Litigation Finance--Local Foundations/Funds Finance--Lotteries Finance--Performance Funding Finance--Private Giving Finance--Resource Efficiency Finance--State Budgets/Expenditures Finance--Student Fees Finance--Taxes/Revenues PA Signed into law 12/2003 P-12 Background Checks and Educational Improvement Tax Credit S.B. 80 Amends the Public School Code. Amends provisions related to background checks of prospective employees, tax levy and limitations, per capita taxes, tuition for certain exceptional children in charter schools for the deaf and blind, Head Start supplemental assi... More... FL Signed into law 11/2003 P-12 Florida Education Finance Program S.B. 22 Increases funding for the Florida Education Finance Program through partial reduction of tax credits for contributions to nonprofit scholarship- funding organizations based on estimated student enrollment; specifies total amount of tax credits and carry forwar... More... ME November 2003 Ballot 11/2003 P-12 Education Funding Question 1B Competing Measure: Do you want to lower property taxes and avoid the need for a significant increase in state taxes by phasing in a 55% state contribution to the cost of public education and by providing expanded property tax relief? http://www.state.me.us/sos... More... ME November 2003 Ballot 11/2003 P-12 Education Funding Question 1C Allows voter to vote against both the Citizen Initiative (Question 1A) and the Competing Measure (Question 1B). http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/intent.pdf... More... AL Amendment did not pass - bill became law without GOVERNOR'S signature 09/2003 P-12 Excellence Initiative Fund Statewide Amendment No. 1 (H.B. 1) Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, establishing the Alabama Excellence Initiative Fund which may be used to fund programs including, but not limited to, the furtherance of excellence in public education, college scholarships, health... More... CA Signed into law 08/2003 P-12 Local Government Finance A.B. 1766 Decreases, for the fiscal adjustment period, the amount of ad valorem property tax revenue allocated to a county's Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund. Requires this amount to be allocated to each county's Sales and Use Tax Compensation Fund, created by this... More... NC Signed into law 08/2003 P-12 State Fund for Certain Moneys S.B. 965 An Act to amend the North Carolina Constitution to provide that the General Assembly may place clear proceeds of civil penalties, civil forfeitures, and civil fines collected by a state agency in a state fund to be used exclusively for maintaining free public ... More... IL Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 School District Additional or Supplemental Budgets H.B. 3101 Provides if a school district adopts, in a fiscal year, an additional or supplemental budget as a result of the voters in the school district having voted in favor of an increase in the annual tax rate for educational or operations and maintenance purposes or ... More... AL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Income Tax Revenue H.B. 19 Relates to individual and corporate income tax to provide for funding for the public education; distribution of revenue to Education Trust Fund and Alabama Excellence Initiative Fund; contingent on voter approval of constitional amendment (HB1) http://alisdb.... More... GA Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Postsec. Sales Tax Holiday H.B. 43 Section 12 provides a 4-day sales tax holiday for school supplies, clothing, eye wear and certain technology items. http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/sum/hb43.htm... More... IL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Riverboat Gambling Act S.B. 1606 Amends the Riverboat Gambling Act. Increases the admission tax and the wagering tax. Provides that the additional wagering tax revenues shall be paid into the Common School Fund. Imposes a privilege tax on the business of riverboat gambling based on adjusted g... More... IL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Riverboat Gambling Act S.B. 1607 Amends the Riverboat Gambling Act. Provides intent to assist economic development and increase revenue to support education. http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=3&GA=93&DocTypeId=SB&DocNum=1607... More... IL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Tax Delinquency Amnesty Act S.B. 969 Creates the Tax Delinquency Amnesty Act for the payment of certain taxes due to the state. Provides that interest and penalties for taxes paid during the amnesty period shall be abated and not collected. Excludes taxpayers who are parties to criminal investiga... More... TX Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 School District Property Values S.B. 671 Relates to the determination of school district property values and the accountability of appraisal district operations. This bill provides for greater equalization of property tax valuations.... More... TX Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 School Fund Composition and Transfers S.B. 206 Relates to the composition of the Permanent School Fund and the Available School Fund and to procedures governing transfers from the Permanent School Fund to the Available School Fund.... More... TX Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Sale and Lease of Public School Land H.B. 2249 Relates to sale and lease of public school land. Currently, the School Land Board (SLB) does not have the authority to use brokers to market land, charges no reinstatement fee, and allows a purchaser five years to reinstate a claim. C.S.H.B. 2249 changes the ... More... VT Signed into law 06/2003 Postsec. Higher Education Investment Plan H.B. 141 Relates to the state higher education investment plan income tax credit; provides that contributions to such account shall be eligible for a credit against income tax.... More... WA Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 State Property Taxes S.B. 6058 Modifies the distribution of state property taxes. For the 2005-2006 school year, requires that an amount equal to three hundred dollars per full-time equivalent student in all school districts be deposited in the student achievement fund to be distributed to... More... AZ Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Nonstate Aid School Districts H.B. 2126 Allow a "non-state aid" school district to increase its property tax rate in order to fund anticipated enrollment growth, subject to certain limitations. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2126 ... More... AZ Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Postsec. Community College Property Tax Assessment and Levy Increases S.B. 1331 Prohibits a community college district, county, city, or town from levying or assessing primary property tax rates higher than the prior year if its governing board failed to comply with Truth in Taxation (TNT) noticing and hearing requirements.  It also would... More... GA Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Assessment, Maximum Class size, Instruction, Revenue S.B. 249 Revises provisions relating to payment of fees for advanced placement tests; revises provision relating to the release of certain test questions; deletes provision that students with alternate assessments shall not count for accountability purposes; changes pr... More... ID Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Unsafe and Unhealthy Schools H.B. 403 Establishes a safe school facilities levy; establishes criteria under which the levy may be imposed and allows for judicial confirmation when the safety levy fails; brings all pending lawsuits under the constitutionally based Education Claims Act. http://www3.... More... IL Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Impact fees H.B. 528 -- Public Act 93-330 Adds a new authorization to the Counties Code and Municipal Code for purposes of implementing ordinances regarding developer donations or impact fees and only for the expenditures thereof. "Public grounds for schools" is defined as including land or site impr... More... NE GOVERNOR'S veto overridden by LEGISLATURE. 05/2003 P-12 Community College School Levies and State Aid L.B. 540 Amends provisions relating to state aid, allowable growth for school district budgets, school levies. Provides for a statutory computation of annual community college area state aid eligibility. http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/Legal/SLIP_LB540.pdf.... More... ID Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 School Bond Equalization Levy H.B. 319 Relates to the school bond levy equalization support program to change the time limitations which govern certain bond and bond levy amounts; provides a special application of state payment provisions; requires reports by school districts. http://www3.state.id.... More... ID Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Charter School Property Tax Exemption H.B. 255 Amends existing law to provide that property used primarily for charter school purposes is exempt from property taxation; and to provide for the assessment of property used for charter school purposes and business purposes. http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/H0255... More... NM Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Job Mentorship Tax Credit H.B. 572 Creates the job mentorship tax credit; providing income tax and corporate income tax credits for employment of youth participating in career preparation education programs.... More... CO Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 General Fund Appropriation S.B. 195 Concerns the amount of general fund appropriation for the states share of districts total program funding required to be made to be in compliance with the Constitution; makes provisions regarding public school finance.http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/pubhome.n... More... MS Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Timber Disposal on Highways to Benefit Education Enhancment Fund S.B. 2102 Allows the Mississippi Transportation Commission to enter into an agreement with the state forestry commission for the general supervision and management of timber on selected portions of the rights-of-way of the interstate highway system and those completed s... More... SD Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Property Taxes H.B. 1064 Revises the property taxes of the general fund of a school district (rates for personal dwellings, agricultural, etc.) All levies are to be imposed on valuations where the median level of assessment represents eighty-five percent of market value as determined... More... UT Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Education Support License Plates S.B. 176 Modifies the Motor Vehicles Code by adding a Public Education Support special group license plate to provide financial support to the state public education.... More... WY Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Amendment for Public Schools Constitutional Amendment A (S.J.R. 6) Proposes a Constitutional amendment. The adoption of this amendment eliminates a maximum on the amount of revenues rebated from school districts with assessed valuations exceeding statewide averages. http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2003/enroll/sj0006.pdf and ht... More... AR Signed by Governor 02/2003 Postsec. Community College County Tax for Community Colleges H.B. 1019 Requires a county sales tax levied for maintenance and operation of any technical college, two-year college, community college or satellite campus of a community college to be distributed directly to the college.http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003... More... 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Bd. for Prof. Teach. Stds. Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Special Education Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--State Prof. Standards Bds. 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