Education Bills Move Quickly

Two bills revamping education for the kindergarten through high school levels zoomed through legislative committee today on their way to a possible vote tomorrow.

Both bills – changing the Basic Education Program formula, and changing the “accountability” procedures – popped out of House Education Committee after languishing since February.

By late afternoon, the House Calendar Committee was expected to put the bills on the House floor calendar for tomorrow – a high-speed run made possible only by the wishes of senators and representatives to finish this week or next.

Web Extra:

The education bills are two, both amended significantly from how they started out. They are:

· HB 2293 Winningham/SB 2177 Kyle, as amended the revamp of the Basic Education Program formula, or BEP. The Senate amendment identified as “SA0689” spells out the new, simplified formula. Although the new formula doesn’t help all county school systems by the same amount, the administration has argued that a “rising tide lifts all boats” and the new formula is much easier to understand than the old formula – and thus easier to change to make it more fair.

· HB 472 Fitzhugh/SB 570 McNally, the new “accountability” bill. The changes are in Amendment “SA0688,” a five-page draft showing what power the state department of education would have to take corrective action on under-performing schools.

Usually bills sit for a week on notice before being taken up by the next committee in line. Under end of the session rules, these bills went from House Education to House Finance to House Calendar & Rule in less than six hours.