COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

OVERSIGHT DIVISION



FISCAL NOTE



L.R. No.: 3415-01

Bill No.: SB 993

Subject: Teachers; Education, Elementary and Secondary; Children and Minors

Type: # Corrected

Date: January 27, 2004

# To correct Oversight assumptions


FISCAL SUMMARY



ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUND
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Total Estimated

Net Effect on

General Revenue

Fund #

$0 $0 $0



ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON STATE FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Total Estimated

Net Effect on All

State Funds

$0 $0 $0



Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.

This fiscal note contains 4 pages.

















ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Total Estimated

Net Effect on All

Federal Funds

$0 $0 $0



ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Local Government ($0 to $3,240,000) ($0 to $3,240,000) ($0 to $1,620,000)




FISCAL ANALYSIS



ASSUMPTION



Officials from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) stated that currently, DESE certifies people in early childhood (which allows them to teach kindergarten to 3rd grade). There are 1,200 teaching early childhood and 3,450 teaching kindergarten (with other life-time certificates K-6 or K-8). In addition, there is a large number of people with early childhood special education certificates. The potential pool of people to be affected by this proposal would depend upon the demand for another group of "before kindergarten" educators. DESE has no way to estimate this potential pool; however, for purposes of a fiscal note, they assume at least the 1,200 individuals teaching early childhood will seek certification.

If the individual has a bachelor's degree, he/she could get a pre-kindergarten certificate by completing 27 college credits and 3 years of teaching in an appropriate pre-grade level as a temporary certificate holder. College credits are currently in excess of $200 per hour x 27 credit hours = $5,400 for the courses alone. Potential costs to local school districts should they chose to pay for such certification could be up to $6,480,000 (1,200 x $5,400). Oversight assumes not all candidates for certification will complete the required college credits the first year and that once a pool of certificated pre-kindergarten teachers are in place, there wouldn't be 1,200 candidates per year seeking certification in this area. For fiscal note purposes, Oversight assumes course costs to be up to $3,240,000 and FY 05 and FY 06 and $1,620,000 in FY 07.

ASSUMPTION (continued)



DESE would require 1.0 FTE Supervisor in the Certification Section to handle requests, process applications and fingerprints, etc. # Oversight assumes that based on school year 2001-2002 information, there were nine FTE to administer the issuance of 53,865 certificates. Oversight assumes the biggest impact of this proposal would occur during the first two years after passage and the certification process of pre-kindergarten teachers could be handled with existing personnel.

FISCAL IMPACT - State Government FY 2005

(10 Mo.)

FY 2006 FY 2007



GENERAL REVENUE FUND #


$0


$0


$0




FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government FY 2005

(10 Mo.)

FY 2006 FY 2007
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Cost - Certification of staff ($0 to $3,240,00) ($0 to $3,240,000) ($0 to $1,620,000)
ESTIMATED NET ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS



($0 to $3,240,000)


($0 to $3,240,000)


($0 to $1,620,000)


FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business



No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.



DESCRIPTION



Currently, Section 168.081, RSMo, requires public teachers of kindergarten through grade twelve to possess a valid teaching certificate. This proposal broadens this requirement to include

pre-kindergarten teachers as well.



This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.







SOURCES OF INFORMATION



Department of Elementary and Secondary Education













Mickey Wilson, CPA

Director

January 26, 2004