Relating to education, including modifying provisions related to education data collection and the determination of enrollment, and including effective date and applicability provisions

This bill relates to education, including modifying provisions related to education data collection and the determination of enrollment. DIVISION I —— EDUCATION INFORMATION AND FUNDING. Division I of the bill modifies and consolidates language regarding electronic data and information duties of the director of the department of education. Under the bill, the director is required to approve, coordinate, and supervise the use of electronic data and information processing by school districts, area education agencies, and merged areas, including the procurement or development of a single, comprehensive, statewide, student information system that is required to be used by all school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and area education agencies. The student information system procured or developed must be designed for the purpose of establishing standardized electronic data collections and reporting protocols that facilitate compliance with state and federal reporting requirements, improve school-to-school and district-to-district information exchanges, and maintain the confidentiality of individual student and staff data. The department of education is required to pay for the procurement or development of the student information system and shall pay for at least the first year of statewide implementation, after which the cost of operating the system may be funded through the collection of a fee by the department from each school district and accredited nonpublic school. The amount of the fee shall be based on a per-student rate, not to exceed $12 per student for the first year of the fee. DIVISION II —— STUDENT ENROLLMENT.6(1)(a) provides that each school district’s actual enrollment is determined annually on October 1, or the first Monday in October if October 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Division II of the bill amends methodology for determining the actual enrollment each year. Under the bill, actual enrollment is determined annually by calculating the average of the count on October 1, or the first Monday in October if October 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, and the count on March 1 immediately succeeding the October determination, or the succeeding Monday if March 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday.6 governing the calculation of each school district’s additional enrollment because of special education and each school district’s pupils added due to application of supplementary weighting, by requiring an average of such amounts determined on two specified dates. Division II makes corresponding changes to other provisions of law. Division II of the bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to actual enrollment determinations for school budget years beginning on or after the effective date of division II of the bill.