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Rep. Jim Hackworth - House District 33
IMMEDIATE RELEASE April
12, 2007
House Advances ‘Schools
First’ Funding Bill;
Three Assessment Exams Proposed
for Pupils
Measures Target School
Resource Officers, Child Safety Issues
NASHVILLE (Apr. 12) –
The House Agriculture Committee advanced a bill this week that allocates
new dollars for the “Schools First” initiative proposed by Gov. Phil
Bredesen. Before any local education agencies (LEAs) receive these
funds, however, lawmakers must revisit three amendments to the measure
that specify other uses for the added revenue, according to Rep.
Jim Hackworth
D-Anderson County.
The bill as originally
proposed increased the sales tax on cigarettes by 40 cents. An
estimated $219 million would be generated, with $120 million used to
fulfill the state’s share of funding to school systems with large
populations of “at-risk” students. In turn, local dollars would be
freed for advanced placement courses, arts and music classes, and other
academic needs.
Another $27 million
would be targeted to school systems with high student growth. The
balance of new money raised by the modest tax hike was designated for
agriculture and anti-smoking programs.
“Educating our children
and putting schools first is the state’s top priority. Constituents and
local officials overwhelmingly support raising standards and
expectations for students, particularly in our high schools. Young
adults must be prepared to meet the real-life demands of college or the
workplace,” said Hackworth.
During deliberations,
however, some Agriculture Committee members amended the bill by reducing
the cigarette tax hike to 20 cents. Another amendment earmarked $21
million for various agriculture programs. The remainder of the
estimated $110 million in new money was then set aside to offset lost
revenue from eliminating the six percent sales tax on certain staple
food items associated with the federal WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
nutrition program.
“The lawmakers who voted
for these amendments were well-intentioned. Their advocacy for our
farming communities and low-income families is admirable. But the
state’s public schools need these new dollars now. Many cities and
counties are developing education budgets for the next fiscal year.
Delaying the progress of this legislation is wrong for our children and
our future. One of the amendments may also be unconstitutional,”
said Hackworth.
The House Budget
Subcommittee presently considering the measure is expected to remove the
amendments, which reverts the bill to its original provisions.
These actions would restore the cigarette tax increase to 40 cents.
The bill as introduced stipulated that revenue raised by the tax hike
goes into the state’s general fund. About 90 percent of these new
dollars are then allocated to the “Schools First” initiative.
One of the key
components of the “Schools First” program is replacing the
pre-graduation exit examination given to high school seniors with three
mandatory assessment examinations. A bill that requires testing
the educational progress of pupils in grades 8, 10 and 11 advanced to
the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee this week.
School systems can use
ACT, SAT, WorkKeys or similar approved examinations to gauge
mathematics, reading and critical thinking skills. The series of
examinations provide a diagnostic tool that helps parents, teachers and
counselors plan remedial course work targeted to a student’s academic
weaknesses.
State officials have set
an aggressive but reasonable goal of raising the Tennessee’s high school
graduation rate from 78 percent to 90 percent by 2012.
“Our educators welcome
this battery of tests. When students are assessed at different
grade levels, they can make good decisions about class schedules.
This initiative gives them two or three years to improve their skills.
Although the local public school systems select which examinations are
used, the state pays the expense of administering them,” said
Hackworth.
School safety issues
were also addressed by a number of House bills moving through the
committee process. These measures include:
- HB1004,
which requires approved restraint systems in all school
buses in use by 2019. New school buses purchased after July
1 must also have restraint systems.
- HB0403
mandates that only sworn police
officers can serve as school resource officers. “School
resource officers currently employed will be given time to
train and meet this requirement. LEAs are still responsible
for setting regulations and policies concerning these
positions,” said
Hackworth.
- HB1942
asks LEAs to annually report to
the state commissioner of education the employment standards
adopted for school resource officers.
- HB1765
requires the state Department
of Education to study the possibility of allowing LEAs to
create school district police departments.
- HB0337
mandates that public schools
annually give students three hours of instruction on such
safety hazards as drugs, alcohol, weapons and bomb threats.
“This bill gives students the opportunity to take
responsibility for improved school safety. We can stop
incidents before they start,” said
Hackworth.
- HB0928
adds school safety as factor
when suspending or dismissing students who are disruptive,
threatening or violent, particularly if other students or
school employees are endangered.
CONTACT:
Kenneth Townsend, Press Secretary, House Democratic Caucus,
at 615-741-6620 or email
kenneth.townsend@legislature.state.tn.us.
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